And that is the most basic truth. One billlion people in India and forecasts of many more in the future. Its population growth predicts India's population will exceed China's.

Madness to over-populate such a small landmass of India.

If one thinks the population may have been 60 million a hundred years ago, and the population might exceed 1.2 billion in the near future. Where not long ago the majority of India was forest, now only 1 or 2 percent is.

Rockdoc, as you well would know, those "local villagers" mentioned in the news articles would be constantly in and out of the neighbouring reserves, cutting firewood, cutting grass and thatch, poaching, etc etc. Also living in areas where probably far fewer humans lived only decades ago. Inevitable the wildlife-human conflict occurs with those sorts of pressures.

Same in other parts of Asia, Africa etc.