Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 l Human–animal conflict emerges as key poll issue in Wayanad

In the plantation belts and forest-fringe villages of Wayanad, one major issue that is dominating the conversations ahead of the assembly election is the growing conflict between people and wildlife.

Farmers say encounters with wild animals, especially elephants and wild boars, have become a routine part of life in the district, affecting livelihoods and creating a climate of fear in many villages bordering forests.

As per government data, over the last 15 years, 1,527 people have died in wildlife-related incidents across Kerala. Of these, 276 deaths were caused by elephants alone.

Wayanad remains one of the worst-affected districts. Since 2014, 149 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured in wild animal attacks in the district, including 41 deaths due to elephant attacks and seven caused by tigers, according to compiled government and field reports.

Farmers say the impact is felt most strongly in agriculture-dependent communities.

“Every night we take turns staying awake in the fields to guard crops,” said Raghavan, a tea plantation worker from Meppadi. “If an elephant herd comes, a year’s income can disappear in one night,” he adds.

Another farmer, Shyla Joseph from the Sultan Bathery region, said crop damage has forced many families to rethink farming altogether. “We plant coffee, banana and pepper, but animals destroy them before harvest. Many people here are slowly giving up farming because the risk is too high.”

Activists working in the district argue that ecological pressures inside forests are also driving the conflict. “Forests in Wayanad are overcrowded. All animals need a minimum space in a forest to move around, but the animal population in and around the forests of Wayanad is far more than the available space,” said Sreejith Sivaraman, an activist based in the district.

According to him, the economic consequences extend beyond crop losses. “Because of this constant animal threat, several farmers in Wayanad have had to move to other towns and take up different work,” he said. “When farmers sell their agricultural land, it is often taken over by big resort operators. Animal sightings then become something they monetise through tourism.”

Unchecked tourism

Other environmentalists point to the rapid expansion of tourism infrastructure as another factor contributing to the conflict.

N Badusha, president of the Wayanad Prakruthi Samrakshana Samithi and an environmental activist for over five decades, said the growth of resorts and homestays near forest areas has significantly disturbed wildlife.

“Over the last 50 years, the rise of tourism has played a major role in increasing man–animal conflict in Wayanad,” Badusha told DH.

“Resorts and homestays inside forests and along their fringes create major sound and light pollution, which disturbs animals and pushes them toward human settlements,” he said.

Badusha alleged that many tourism establishments operate in violation of regulatory norms.

He also criticised successive governments for failing to adequately protect forest ecosystems.

“Whether it was the Left Democratic Front or the United Democratic Front, governments have not done justice to the forests. Rampant cutting of trees for industries and developmental projects, and unchecked exploitation of natural resources to promote businesses, have brought us to this point,” observes Badusha.

Kerala government has introduced several measures to reduce human–animal conflict, including rapid response teams, solar fencing and compensation schemes for crop losses and fatalities. Kerala has spent over Rs 79 crore on compensation for wildlife conflict cases over the past six years, covering deaths, injuries and crop damage, as per govt reports.

Another controversial step has been allowing the culling of certain animals in extreme situations - - a move that has divided opinion among conservationists.

Sivaraman supports the decision. “The government’s move of culling animals is a positive step,” he said, arguing that managing wildlife populations must be part of the broader strategy.

But for many residents in Wayanad’s forest-fringe villages, the issue is no longer purely about conservation. With the Assembly elections approaching, farmers say they expect political parties to present clearer solutions to a problem that directly affects their safety and livelihoods.

“For us, this election is about whether we can continue farming here,” says Raghavan. “If the animal problem is not addressed, people will simply leave the land.”