International Journal of Scientific Research and Management (IJSRM) ||Volume||09||Issue||3||Pages||FE-2021-182-190||2021|| Website: www.ijsrm.in ISSN (e): 2321-3418 DOI: 10.18535/ijsrm/v9i03.fe01 Phub Dorji, IJSRM Volume 09 Issue 03 March 2021 [www.ijsrm.in] FE-2021-182 A pattern of human dhole interaction in the buffer area of Jigme Khesar Strict Nature Reserve Phub Dorji 1 1 Department of Forests and Park Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests Abstract Human-wildlife conflict is a serious problem for conservation efforts worldwide. This is also true for Bhutan, where carnivores depredate livestock of farmers, affecting farmer’s livelihood, however , there is sparse documentation on the extent of human dhole interaction in Bhutan’s some of the important areas of conservation interest. Therefore this research was aimed to evaluate the extent of human dhole interaction, income lost due to depredation, and the perception of the farmers towards dhole conservation. Data were collected from 160 households within two strata of the rural and semi-urban areas in western Bhutan through semi-structured questionnaires and focused group discussions. Livestock depredation involved seven predators, which caused the loss of 5% of the total average annual income of the farmers; which were significantly different between the predators involved. Dhole killed significantly more livestock than other predators and maximum kills were made in the rural area than semi-urban area. 60% of the incomes lost due to wild predators were caused by dhole with major impact in rural areas. The majority of the respondents from rural areas exhibited a negative attitude towards dhole conservation. They suggested livestock depredation compensation schemes and other livelihood alternatives minimize the impact of conflict, whereas the majority of the respondents from semi-urban suggested electric fencing around their village as measures to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Livestock compensation and insurance schemes, integrated conservation development programs, educational outreach programs with other livelihood alternatives such as ecotourism are recommended as intervention strategies to minimize human dhole conflict and create harmonic co-existence. Keywords: Conflict, depredation, income, perception, rural, semi-urban. Introduction Human dhole interaction involves where the human encroach the dhole habitat and dhole come into the human-dominated periphery and cause threat or competition to the livelihood of the farmers. An increase in dhole population causes the livestock depredation, which results in a negative attitude of the farmers towards dhole, thereby killing the dhole in retaliation and impacting the dhole conservation (Tshering and Thinley, 2017). 72% of the respondents in the protected area of Thailand believe that increase in human dhole conflict was due to its habitat destruction by the alignment of roads (Jenks et al. 2014). Wang and Macdonald also stated that the influential factor contributing towards human dhole conflict includes increasing human population, loss of natural habitat, less pray and in some regions and increased dhole population resulted from conservation program actions (2006). Bhutan is an agrarian country where the majority of the population are dependent on agriculture and livestock for their livelihood and most of the settlements are located in the proximity of the forest (Sangay and Vernes, 2008). The major wild predators depredating livestock includes tigers, common leopard, black bear, and dhole (Wang and Macdonald, 2006). Livestock depredations are common in areas where livestock holding forms the an integral part of farmer's livelihood ( Sangay and Vernes, 2014, Katel et al. 2014). Among the wild predators, dhole caused a major negative impact on the livestock holding communities' livelihood (Dar et al. 2009, Sangay and Vernes, 2008). Human dhole interaction in form of livestock depredation has led to a threat to the dhole population by the farmers involved with the livestock rearing in its distribution ranges (Thinley et al. 2011). In Bhutan, dholes were nearly extirpated in the 1970s due to