The approval by the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) to empower the village panchayats to deal with "problematic wild animals" is hasty and may have far reaching consequences in Northeast region. The Standing Committee of the NBWL has approved an advisory on Human -Animal Conflict Management to the states that envisages empowering the village panchayats to deal with "problematic wild animals as per the section 11 (1) (b) of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972." Under the Act, this power can be invoked by the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW) to permit any person to hunt a wild animal in a specified area to be hunted if the CWW is satisfied the wild animal specified in Schedule II, Schedule III, or Schedule IV, has become dangerous to human life or to property or is disabled or diseased to be beyond recovery. The Advisory, however, excludes the Schedule I species, meaning thereby that the panchayats will not be empowered to take decisions on tiger, wild elephant, Asiatic wild buffalo, and other animals protected under this schedule. Wildlife biologists in the region have been underlining the need for updating the list of Schedule I species in the region. They argue that several non-Schedule I species have become endangered due to habitat destruction and may become extinct if timely steps are not taken to protect their habitats. Rushing with the implementation of the advisory on "problematic wild animals" approved by the NBWL without updating the list and before including the endangered species in the Schedule I list will only endangered these species more. Habitat loss due to construction of roads and various infrastructure projects, clearing of forest land for farming and other human activities like coal mining, crude oil extraction result in such conflict which have made non-Schedule I species wild animals increasingly threatened in the region. However, threat posed to existence and protection of non-Schedule I species is often overshadowed by human-animal conflict involving Schedule I species. More scientific studies on the non-Schedule I species should be funded to help the scientific communities make correct conclusions about of their actual status and conservation requirements. Involvement of panchayats in the human-animal conflict is no doubt a good idea but it will produce results only if elected panchayat members are made aware of the various provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act and how they can play a role in protection of the nature and wildlife which is in the interest of the communities they represent. Empowering the panchayats to kill "problematic animals" without correct understanding of the status of wild animals notified in various schedules could lead to abuse of power by vested forces. Collaboration of the panchayat members with wildlife biologists, forest departments, nature activists, climate scientists will go a long way in achieving the primary objective of advisory of the better management of human-animal conflict. The advisory, however, has many pragmatic suggestions like utilising add-on coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna for crop compensation against crop damage due to conflict, augmenting fodder and water sources within the forest areas in which involvement of panchayats can be expected to produce positive results. The payment of a portion of ex-gratia as interim relief within 24 hours of the incident to the victim/family is another timely suggestion in the advisory. The advisory also envisages prescribing interdepartmental committees at local/state level, adoption of early warning systems, creation of barriers, dedicated circle wise Control Rooms with toll free hotline numbers which could be operated on 24X7 basis, identification of hotspots, on which the states in the region should act for mitigating human animal conflicts. Due to lack of scientific data on population strength of various wild animals enlisted in different species the perception on conflict is often skewed towards human as estimates of the population of particular species in given are often exaggerated. Involving the Panchayati Raj Institutions after imparting proper training to undertake correct estimation of population of different species of wild animals can help get the real picture in hand. This will also help the PRIs to take balanced view of the human-animal conflict situation in their areas and judiciously use the power on "problematic wild animals" if and when the state decides to implement this provision of the advisory. It is advisable that the states concerned in the region would take a rationale view of the advisory before rushing to empower the village panchayats with the power to deal with "problematic wild animals." Forest and Environment departments presenting a ground zero picture of the status of protection and existing threat to all the wild animals in all different Schedules under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and wide consultations with wildlife biologists, nature activists will help the state government in the region to take a pragmatic view on the entire issue.