In this week’s cover story, writer Michael Benanav brings readers to India, where conservationists are celebrating the triumphant resurgence of big cats.
Both in India and around the world, leopards and tigers are considered majestic and beautiful creatures. But they are also predators. In India’s Uttarakhand state, the increase in wild cats has come with a parallel surge in violent attacks on people. This unintended consequence has sparked a spate of new questions about safety, balance, tolerance, and coexistence.
On its face, this story is a uniquely Indian one. But it is a tale told the world over, as communities confront the realities of initiatives designed to restore ecological balance by returning animals that had been under threat to the wild.
In the United States, rewilding efforts have brought gray wolves to Colorado, red wolves to North Carolina, and grizzly bears to the North Cascades in Washington state. In South Africa, conservationists have restocked the Loskop Dam Nature Reserve with several animals whose numbers have been dwindling, including the southern white rhino. In Europe, several decades of conservation measures have led to explosions in populations of carnivores, including bears, lynx, wolves, and wolverines.
Such efforts are often fueled by a desire to right an ecological wrong. But an ecosystem is not a vacuum. Reintroducing animals to the wild often means that people must, once again, learn to live with them. The tension is particularly acute with carnivores that can pose threats to people and livestock. But even herbivores can present challenges. The reintroduction of beavers, for instance, can spark backlash from farmers and homeowners who worry about potential flooding.
At their root, these stories are about the interconnectedness of all living things. In the past, humanity has confronted such challenges with brute force – hence the near extinction of so many species. But with rewilding efforts, there is recognition that another way is possible. Of course, the conflicts that arise in their wake cannot be ignored. Balance must be sought.
Michael’s story from Uttarakhand is rich with personal details of what it is like to live with leopards and tigers. As Sanjay Sondhi, a founder of Titli Trust, a nonprofit that works on reducing human-leopard conflict, says in Michael’s story, “There are no easy answers, but the solution must be coexistence. You can’t eliminate leopards or people.”
This column first appeared in the April 14, 2025, issue of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly. Subscribe today to receive future issues of the Monitor Weekly magazine delivered to your home.
