Human Safety Over Animals: Ecologist's Radical Plea

Renowned ecologist Madhav Gadgil has asserted that individuals possess the right to self-defense against wild animals, drawing parallels to defending oneself against human intruders. He contends that India's approach to wildlife conflict is unscientific and ineffective, with laws like the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, erroneously prioritizing animal lives over human safety, a stance he deems "completely absurd."

Gadgil, a proponent of decentralized, community-led wildlife governance, has for two years called for regulated hunting permissions in areas with high animal densities, especially where leopard populations have surged. He points to Scandinavian countries as examples of successful, pragmatic wildlife management, where local communities harvest animal populations to maintain ecological balance when they exceed carrying capacity.

He believes India's Biological Diversity Act, which supports community biodiversity management, remains largely unenforced on paper. Gadgil stresses that responsible conservation involves managing animal populations, not tolerating loss of life. He calls for an honest, scientific, and humane community-led conflict management system to ensure coexistence and thriving populations for both humans and wildlife.