On 10 July 2026 the Centre of Excellence on Human–Wildlife Conflict at WII‑SACON, Coimbatore, was inaugurated and the National Human‑Wildlife Conflict Portal plus a status publication were launched.
About the Centre
- Location: Campus of Wildlife Institute of India‑Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
- Mandate: National hub for research, innovation, policy support, capacity building and dissemination on scientific management of human–wildlife conflict (HWC).
- Origin: Established following recommendation at the 7th meeting of the National Board for Wildlife.
Key functions
- Research & evidence: Compile national datasets and publish trend analyses on HWC.
- Capacity building: National workshops and training for forest departments, enforcement and field practitioners.
- Policy support: Technical inputs for central and state mitigation protocols and standard operating procedures.
Digital and technical tools
- National Portal: Digital platform for data management, knowledge sharing and decision support for conflict mitigation across India.
- First publication: ‘Current Status of Human–Wildlife Conflict in India: An Overview’ — national assessment of conflict trends and challenges.
- Approach: Emphasis on technology‑enabled and community‑inclusive solutions for field application.
Focus species and scope
- Priority taxa: Tigers (Panthera tigris) outside reserves, leopards (Panthera pardus) and Asian elephants (Elephas maximus).
- Spatial scope: Conflicts inside and outside protected areas, with emphasis on landscape and human‑use interfaces.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- Institutions: WII is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; SACON is a national ornithology centre.
- Governance link: National Board for Wildlife provides statutory advisory role to the central government on wildlife matters.