Encounters between groups often lead to skirmishes, led by dominant males. During such skirmishes, they jump aggressively, shake branches, show their teeth and make threatening gestures.
Relations with local communities are largely peaceful, although the animals can be wary or even aggressive towards strangers. Overall, however, there is no strong hostility towards him in Keshavpur.
With forests depleted, their survival is now almost entirely dependent on human-modified environments. Despite crop losses, the sympathy of the local people has sustained this co-existence so far. Yet, as food and shelter shortages increase, how long this fragile coexistence can last remains an open question.
* MA Aziz, Professor, Department of Zoology, Jahangirnagar University.