Mapping human‒wildlife conflict hotspots in a transboundary landscape, Eastern Himalaya

摘要: Abstract The Kangchenjunga Landscape, an important repository of biodiversity, faces several challenges owing to various drivers change. Human‒wildlife conflict (HWC) is one such issue that transcends social, economic, environmental, as well national and international borders among the three participating countries – Bhutan, India, Nepal making it a complex, transboundary issue. Based on existing literature, earth observation data, geographic information system, we used maximum entropy along with relevant environmental predictor variables model map HWC hotspots. results suggested about 19 per cent area within landscape at high risk human‒wildlife conflict, anthropogenic factor ‒ distance roads top predictor. Some protected areas are higher than others. Himalayan subtropical pine forest ecoregion zone (~63 cent), followed by Terai‒Duars savannah grasslands (~43 cent). They also revealed low- mid-elevation zones prone due greater fragmentation; patchy disconnected from each other, not big enough for large mammals like elephants tigers. Human-wildlife observed vary across different elevation climate region highly correlated fragmentation midhills. Hence, holistic approach level needed tackling conflict. Connecting good habitats restoring fragmented inter intra-country would be effective measure mitigate