Uttarakhand to set up wildlife sterilisation centres, empower rangers amid rise in animal attacks

Speaking to reporters, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that in areas where wild animals such as elephants, blue bulls (nilgai), bears, leopards and monkeys damage agriculture and horticulture crops, physical infrastructure or human life, effective steps will be taken to reduce human-wildlife conflict by developing security systems through solar fencing and sensor-based alert mechanisms in a phased and planned manner.

राज्य में मानव–वन्यजीव संघर्ष की प्रभावी रोकथाम के लिए सोलर फेंसिंग एवं सेंसर आधारित अलर्ट सिस्टम स्थापित किए जाएंगे। इसके साथ ही आधुनिक वन्यजीव बंध्याकरण (नसबंदी) केंद्रों तथा प्रत्येक जनपद में रेस्क्यू एवं रिहैबिलिटेशन सेंटर खोले जाएंगे। इस संबंध में अधिकारियों को दो सप्ताह के…

— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) December 20, 2025

The Chief Minister said a mechanism to check the population of wild animals such as langurs, monkeys, pigs and bears will be implemented by setting up “modern wildlife sterilisation centres” under the Forest Department in every district. “The rescue and rehabilitation centres for identified wild animals in human-wildlife conflict will be opened in all districts of the state. For this, a minimum of 10 Nali in hilly forest areas and a minimum of 1 acre of land in plain forest areas will be reserved,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that for effective prevention of human-wildlife conflict, ranger-level forest officers will be empowered by decentralising powers to deal with violent animals by amending rules under the central Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. He also said he discussed the issue with Union Forest and Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav on Friday.

Kerala had earlier this year sought the Union government’s nod to kill wild animals that pose a threat to human life and property, seeking amendments to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, to allow such action when animals enter human habitats.

Experts point out that sterilisation may have side effects and has not proved successful in the case of rhesus macaques in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand despite years of attempts.

“What is required is a comprehensive policy, including amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act, empowering DFOs and ROs to act quickly when an animal is posing a risk,” a scientist said, adding that a specialised unit for human-wildlife conflict management needs to be established, deploying technology to alert people and mitigate conflict.