Abstract
CROP DAMAGE CAUSED BY WILD BOAR IN VILLAGES OF RANEBENNUR, HAVERI DISTRICT, KARNATAKA STATE, INDIA

Ranebennur Black buck Sanctuary is located in RanebennurTaluk of Haveri District, Karnataka. The sanctuary is declared vide Government of Karnataka Notification No.AFD-58-PWL -74 dated 17-6-1974 with an area of 119 Sq.km and is mainly concerned to the conservation of Black bucks and other fauna and flora. According for the present study the most of the crop damage is mainly by wild boar rather than black bucks. Day by day the conflict between wildlife and human is extending owing to increasing human population, loss of natural habitats for wildlife and gradual increasing in their population, due to successful conservation efforts of Indian government after the implication of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Wild boar (Susscrofa) is opportunistic omnivores. However, their diet varies according to field conditions and availability of the different items. Crop raiding is a major form of human wildlife conflict that not only affects livelihoods of farmers living close to the forest area. In recent years, wild boar (Susscrofa) causing enormous loss to the agricultural crops at various stages, that is mainly due to absence of predators and the increase of population and non availability of preferred dietary items. The people surrounding the sanctuary are below the poverty line and they prefer small scale crop like maize and it is the attractive crop found in that time. So wild boar caused extensive damage mainly to maize crop in Hullathi, Huniskatti, Alalgeri and Hanumapura sections of Ranebennur wildlife sanctuary. We evaluated the economic loss to the local villagers due to such human wildlife conflicts; survey and interviewed data was collected from villagers surrounding the sanctuary area and also necessary data also collected from the records of the forest department and ocular estimation of crop damage in all the forty villages of four sections and today these problems have aggravated beyond tolerable limits and resulted into direct conflict between people and wild pigs. This has also adversely affected the conservation ideals. The maximum affected section was Huniskattiand minimum affected was Hanumapura. In Hullathi section (n=303) farmers are affected, (n=370) farmers are effected in Huniskatti, (n=27) farmers affected in Hanumapura section, and (n=329) farmers affected in Alalgeri section respectively. Compensation given by the forest department, and detailed study beyond crop raiding and how to overcome from crop raiding was discussed. To minimize the conflicts between farmers and the management of protected areas, it is suggested that the inexpensive, volunteer-based population control program could be enhanced by incorporating stalking and mobile electric fences and changing of crop alternatively. This paper discuss the interactions between the wild boar and crops damages, compensation, preventing methods employed, actions which should be taken by the forest department to minimize the human-animal conflicts in the area.