Last reviewed 4 Nov 2026 · 3 min read
1. Threats — HIPPO (+ climate change)
| Threat | Examples |
|---|---|
| Habitat loss and fragmentation | Deforestation, dams, mining, roads, wetland reclamation — the biggest cause |
| Invasive alien species | Lantana camara, Prosopis juliflora, water hyacinth (Eichhornia), African catfish |
| Pollution | Pesticides, plastics, oil spills, eutrophication |
| Population growth | Rising demand for land and resources |
| Over-exploitation | Over-fishing, poaching for skins, horns, tusks; medicinal plant over-harvest |
| Climate change | Coral bleaching, shifting ranges, mismatched breeding seasons |
- Poaching and illegal wildlife trade — tiger parts, rhino horn, elephant ivory, pangolin scales, star tortoises; tackled by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and CITES.
2. Man–wildlife conflict
| Causes | Examples |
|---|---|
| Habitat loss and fragmented corridors | Elephants raiding crops in Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka |
| Expansion of farms and settlements into forests | Leopard attacks in Maharashtra and Uttarakhand |
| Decline of natural prey | Tigers lifting cattle (Sundarbans, Vidarbha) |
| Linear infrastructure | Elephants killed on railway tracks |
Mitigation: protecting and restoring corridors, early-warning systems, solar fences, trenches, compensation for crop and livestock loss, rapid response teams, community awareness, eco-development around protected areas.