A series of community-based initiatives in and around Assam’s Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary are showing promising results in reducing human–animal conflict (HAC) while strengthening local support for conservation of the greater one-horned rhinoceros.
Located in Morigaon district, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary spans just 38.81 square kilometres, with a core area of about 16 square kilometres. Despite its small size, it is home to 107 rhinos, according to the latest census, making it the highest-density habitat of the one-horned rhino in the world. The sanctuary lies around 35 kilometres from Guwahati.
Conserving wildlife in Pobitora has long posed challenges for the Assam Forest Department, as the sanctuary is surrounded by densely populated agrarian villages. Local communities frequently face crop damage and safety risks from wild animals, particularly Asiatic buffaloes and rhinos that stray into villages at night in search of food.
Despite these difficulties, the agrarian community has remained supportive of conservation efforts. Conservation organisation Aaranyak has been working alongside the Forest Department to strengthen this support and reduce conflict.
With backing from the IUCN (CAG) and in collaboration with the Forest Department, Aaranyak launched a multi-pronged initiative last year aimed at mitigating human–animal conflict and promoting coexistence.
Researcher Ujjal Bayan from Aaranyak’s Rhino Research and Conservation Division, under the guidance of Deputy Director Dr Deba Kumar Dutta and Executive Director Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, has been working closely with both forest officials and local residents to develop practical solutions.
One key intervention has been the installation of solar street lights in nine villages identified as highly prone to human–animal conflict. According to Dr Dutta, these villages reported zero HAC incidents last year, as improved night visibility helped prevent sudden encounters between villagers and wild animals. Encouraged by the results, 20 more villages have requested similar installations.
To protect crops and ensure farmer safety, Aaranyak has also facilitated the construction of four raised concrete watch platforms in Muroibari, Tamulidoba, Amaramul, and Goronga (Kamarpur). These all-weather platforms allow farmers to keep watch over their fields at night from a safer vantage point. In some cases, forest staff have also used the platforms to monitor rhinos that stray outside the sanctuary.
In addition, Aaranyak has helped form 15 community-based Anti-Depredation Squads (ADS), involving around 120 volunteers across 28 conflict-prone villages. Each squad consists of eight to ten members who conduct night patrols, monitor the movement of wild animals, and alert villagers when animals are nearby.
ADS members have been equipped with torchlights, and additional lights have been provided to frontline forest staff. “The ADS members carry out night monitoring from raised platforms and patrol villages to warn residents about the presence of wild animals. They coordinate closely with the Forest Department and Aaranyak field staff,” said Pankaj Sharma, secretary of the Muroibari ADS.
Alongside conflict mitigation, Aaranyak has also introduced a pilot livelihood project for local women. The initiative promotes the cultivation of cash crops such as Bhoot Jolokia (ghost pepper) using a low-cost, climate-resilient model designed to protect crops from unseasonal rain and excessive heat. The goal is to increase household incomes and reduce economic vulnerability in the community.
Together, these measures aim to build a sustainable model of coexistence between people and wildlife in one of India’s most important rhino habitats.
