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Human–wildlife conflict has emerged as a major environmental and socio-economic challenge in India, particularly in forest-fringe regions where expanding human settlements intersect with wildlife habitats. To address this issue, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has launched Project HANUMAN, an innovative programme aimed at strengthening wildlife rescue, monitoring, and community protection mechanisms while promoting coexistence between humans and wildlife.

About Project HANUMAN

Project HANUMAN stands for Healing and Nurturing Units for Monitoring, Aid and Nursing of Wildlife. The initiative is designed to mitigate conflicts in forest-bordering villages where incidents such as elephant raids, crop damage, and snake bites are common. By combining modern technology, rapid response mechanisms, and community participation, the programme aims to ensure both human safety and wildlife conservation.

The project focuses particularly on forest-fringe areas that frequently experience wildlife incursions, thereby seeking to reduce casualties, prevent retaliatory killings of animals, and improve wildlife rescue operations.

Key Features of the Project

1. Rapid Response and Rescue Infrastructure: The initiative includes a strong emergency response network comprising:

• 100 GPS-enabled vehicles for field monitoring and quick deployment.
• 93 Rapid Response Units to address wildlife emergencies.
• 7 specialised wildlife ambulances equipped for rescue and medical aid.

2. Wildlife Rescue Centres: Four dedicated rescue centres have been established in key locations:

• Visakhapatnam
• Rajamahendravaram
• Tirupati
• Byrluti

These centres will provide facilities for treatment, rehabilitation, and temporary shelter of rescued wildlife.

3. Community Participation through ‘Vajra’ Teams: The project encourages local participation through “Vajra” volunteer teams at the village level. These teams assist forest officials in handling minor incidents such as snake rescues and early reporting of wildlife movement, thereby reducing panic and preventing escalation.

4. Technology-based Monitoring: Advanced technologies form a key component of the programme:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to track wildlife movements and generate early warning alerts for nearby settlements.
• A dedicated HANUMAN mobile application that allows citizens to report wildlife sightings, conflict incidents, and emergencies, improving coordination between communities and forest authorities.

5. Improved Compensation Mechanism: To support affected communities and reduce hostility towards wildlife, the government has enhanced compensation provisions:

• ?10 lakh compensation for human deaths caused by wildlife.
• ?2 lakh for injuries.
• Market-value compensation for livestock losses.