When Wildlife Comes to the Farm, Perhaps We Should Ask Who Came First The nilgai problem is real. But before blaming the animal, perhaps we should look in the mirror. A recent report from Una in Himachal Pradesh describes a problem that farmers have been struggling with for years: the growing presence of blue bulls, or nilgai, in agricultural fields. For a farmer, there is nothing theoretical about this problem. A crop is not merely a crop. It represents months of labour, money borrowed or invested, expectations about the harvest and, ultimately, a family's livelihood. When herds of nilgai enter fields and eat or trample crops, the economic loss can be devastating. Studies and reports from different parts of India have documented significant crop damage caused by nilgai, and farmers in several states have demanded government intervention. So yes, the farmer's concern is legitimate. But while reading such a story, another question inevitably comes to mind: Where are ...
When Wildlife Comes to the Farm, Perhaps We Should Ask Who Came First The nilgai problem is real. But before blaming the animal, perhaps we should look in the mirror. A recent report from Una in Himachal Pradesh describes a problem that farmers have been struggling with for years: the growing presence of blue bulls, or nilgai, in agricultural fields. For a farmer, there is nothing theoretical about this problem. A crop is not merely a crop. It represents months of labour, money borrowed or invested, expectations about the harvest and, ultimately, a family's livelihood. When herds of nilgai enter fields and eat or trample crops, the economic loss can be devastating. Studies and reports from different parts of India have documented significant crop damage caused by nilgai, and farmers in several states have demanded government intervention. So yes, the farmer's concern is legitimate. But while reading such a story, another question inevitably comes to mind: Where are ...