Man-animal conflict plagues Maharashtra villages

Wild sloth bears have killed 4 people and injured another 17 in Buldhana this year, on the fringes of the Dnyanganga Wildlife Sanctuary. Not a single case has been recorded here before. Reason? Bears are most likely venturing out in search of water. Buldhana has had five successive years of drought and there are large water sources close to the human habitation just outside the reserve. Additionally, forest cover in the reserved forest zone just outside the sanctuary has grown rapidly over the past decade – the reserve is technically 202 sq km in size, but forest officials say it now covers 245 to 250 sq km.And, as a result of the drought, local farmers have switched to toor dal — which is a tall crop that grows to almost 7 ft.