Historical Roots of Human-Wildlife Conflict in Kerala: Ecology, Society, and Environmental Change

Abstract

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) has become a major environmental and socio-economic challenge in Kerala, particularly in the forest-fringe regions of the Western Ghats. While contemporary explanations often focus on wildlife population growth or conservation policies, this article argues that present-day conflicts are rooted in the long-term historical transformations of landscapes and human-environment relations. Adopting an environmental history approach, this study traces the evolution of HWC in Kerala from the pre-colonial period to the present using primary sources such as The Travancore State Manual (1906), Malabar Manual (1887), census records, legislative proceedings, and forest regulations, alongside relevant secondary literature. The analysis demonstrates that colonial forest commercialisation, plantation expansion, post-independence agricultural migration, infrastructure development, and changing land-use policies have progressively fragmented wildlife habitats and reduced the ecological buffers separating human settlements from wildlife. More recent pressures associated with climate change have further intensified these interactions. The article contends that contemporary HWC is not merely a wildlife management problem but the outcome of cumulative socio-ecological transformations spanning over two centuries. Understanding this historical trajectory is essential for developing sustainable, landscape-level approaches that balance conservation objectives with the livelihoods and security of forest fringe communities.