IISER MOHALI

Abstract: Despite extensive conservation efforts, wildlife populations continue to decline globally, driven largely by human activities such as habitat loss and poaching. This study pioneers an integrative approach, combining scientific methods and socio-economic analysis, to address conservation challenges posed by timber poaching in the Hoollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary (HGWS), Assam, India. The research examines land use patterns within HGWS and explores the socio-economic dynamics of local villagers, some of whom may be complicit, knowingly or unknowingly, in illegal logging activities. Findings reveal that the northern region of HGWS exhibits high levels of timber poaching, with 16 identified sites correlating with a reduced population of hoolock gibbons (Hoolock hoolock). Exploiting a legal loophole in the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972, which criminalizes tree cutting but not the collection of fallen branches and logs, poachers weaken trees by cutting V-shaped notches into trunks, making them susceptible to collapse under environmental stress. This covert method complicates enforcement, as forest guards often struggle to distinguish between legitimate collectors and poachers. Moreover, forest resources are crucial to the livelihoods of local communities, who rely on fallen wood and fruits, further blurring the lines between subsistence use and illegal activities. The study also maps the network of timber poaching, illustrating its impact on wildlife conservation and forest management in HGWS. The insights gathered highlight the urgent need for targeted conservation strategies that address both ecological and socio-economic factors to safeguard the future of the sanctuary’s biodiversity.