These forest department workers in Kashmir
are preparing to release an
Asiatic Black Bear into the wild.
They trapped it in an apple orchard near Srinagar
Kashmir’s bustling capital.
In Kashmir, the cases of resuce and rehabilitation of bears
from human-dominated areas are highest amongst all animals.
While the Asiatic Black Bear in native to the region
its recurring appearence in farms, orchards and villages
is making residents anxious.
So how are the authorities and
people handling this situation?
We only wish to live in peace.
To kill any creature is a crime.
This is a living being too.
But we need a solution for both.
Justice for the animal and for us, too.
This area is known as the Oak Patch.
Bears are frequently found in this area.
They’re here for this fruit called Acorn.
This is laden with fat, that’s why bears will
eat as much of it before they hibernate.
Till the time it snows, the bear will
try and eat as much as possible.
The moment it snows, they go into hibernation.
Once the natural food within the National Park gets over,
the bears will start looking for food on the edges.
That’s where they find apple orchards.
Earlier, the private land that you
see outside Dachigam National Park,
was completely deviod of people
for 2-3 kms.
The bear is still going to the same spots;
however, there are settlements there now.
So when the bear ventures into these villages and orchards
the village residents chase it around and pelt stones on it.
Bears behave very differently when they are in
forested landscapes; when they feel they’re safe.
I have been in Dachigam National
Park and the whole landscape.
For three-four years I have been working on bears.
There wasn’t a single incident when the bear chased us.
It has to be studied whether
there is lesser food availible inside,
but this habituation is of course there.
We have seen bears coming out for
food and then they go back to a forest.
They will come inside for oak and
natural food and then they will go outside.
One such trip by a mother bear and her cub
was caught on a CCTV camera
installed in a posh locality in Srinagar.
The bears strolled on a road that
sees regular traffic in the daytime.
Ho do you explain a bear coming
into a densely populated city like Srinagar?
So the bear, along with the cub was
toiling in the streets of Jawahar Nagar.
And there were no fruits, of course, I agree …
but there were lots of dumping sites of garbage.
The season which corresponds with that incident
is when we have a lot of marriages around.
and we have a lot of unconsumed food present in such dumps.
It’s very easy for the bear to come from very far
because they have a very strong sense of smell.
In our study we had collared a few bears and
we observed their pattern of movement as well.
What we saw is, the hibernation which used to
be for three-four months, it is not happening now.
They don’t go into hibernation.
The true hibernation they don’t go now.
They will put on a fat layer that
protects them in the harsh winter.
But because they use human food, that
doesn’t help them in developing that fat layer.
As we have seen that there is a lot of
change in the behaviour of the animals
and in many animals there is a human imprinting as well; they are not scared of the humans.
Kashmir’s Wildlife wing recorded over 2,300
bear attacks in two decades since the year 2000,
some of which were fatal.
Recurring interactions between humans and
bears have kept wildlife managers on edge;
Trying to capture a wild animal,
while managing agitated people.
At your service sir!
I have called you regarding reports
on a black bear rescue in your area.
In the Department of Wildlife Protection,
we have around 24 control rooms which are working 24/7;
and they are receiving these SOS calls
regarding the presence of these Asiatic Black Bears
in the human settlements or the human spaces.
And we at the spot try to see
what type of conflict it is —
Where is the bear, where from
it has come, where is it stuck?
How it can be retrieved, how it can be rescued?
What is the corridor he has used?
If the corridor is the natural forest, then
we try to give a safe passage to the animal.
Whenever we capture an animal from
one area to and shift it to another area,
the problem is being shifted.
If they explore the possibility of food and all,
it will be a problem for the bear
as well as for the humans there.
You can capture an animal, the only thing
that has to be taken into consideration is that
the closest possible habitat, from where
it was captured, it should be released there only.
But not all bears make their way back into the wild
The bears, they have been rescued
from different conflicting situations.
Like we have two siblings, these female bears
and they have been resuced from the
tourist destination, Botanical Garden which was
in the inception year of the development.
Once they are orphaned and cubs,
they immediately get human imprinting.
So for them there is very little chance they
can get rehabilitated into the wild because
they won’t be in a position to find
food for themselves, find shelter;
because they are not being taught this by their mothers.
So for them, this is a lifetime facility.
They are not allowed to breed,
but they are at in the rescue centre.
These bears are omnivores; they mainly eat plant foods.
When they don’t find that food,
they turn towards small animals.
Elaborating on human behaviour is to create
more awareness amongst the local masses.
So if we are able to change their
knowledge about wildlife behaviour,
we can change their attitude towards the widllife tolerance.
Here, just take a look at what this bear has done
These were two boxes (25 pieces each)
worth of apples that the bear has eaten.
Look, the bear has partially chewed this apple!
It pulled this branch down to get to the fruits.
Then it has done the same thing to the other trees as well.
Mehreen Khaleel is a Srinagar-based wildlife biologist.
She travels from village to village where bears are spotted,
to speak with people at risk of safety and income.
So one of the do’s and don’t
the wildlife department issues is
to remove these apples;
They emphasize that fallen apples be removed
because their scent attracts the bear.
Mehreen interacts with communities to
find out the local and traditional methods
to avoid conflict with bears.
So one of the family members will keep
guard for the night at their orchard;
If at night they hear or sense the bear’s presence,
they will pull these ropes that will produce a sound;
and because of those sounds, the bear will run
away thinking there are lots of people moving around.
Well if you ask the people, they
will give you all sorts of solutions.
They will also ask for legalized
guns so that they can kill the animal;
but they also understand that
the bear comes under protection.
So you can’t kill them away …
So, the research that we are doing
right now, we are just collecting data on
where are the places in Kashmir
where this conflict is increasing,
and what are the reasons behind that.
So once we have established that
then only we can say more authoritatively that
this is the thing (solution) that has been working;
please continue doing this.
Maybe it will work for five or ten years,
till the animal is acquainted with that.
After 10-15 years you start doing something else.
The encounters are high in orchards and agricultural fields,
affecting people who use the landscape.
Livestock herders face the risk too.
We have seen that in such landscapes the bear also breeds;
and for those progeny which is bred there,
which is basically raised there,
they have never seen a forest.
Therein you cannot expect the
forest department to come everyday,
putting a cage everyday,
taking animals everyday;
this is not possible.
The permenant solution is the awareness among the masses,
and awareness among those who
are living in the fringes of those forests;
who are vulnerable to such conflicts everyday.
Whenever you visit your fields or the adjoining jungles,
carry a stick with you and try going in groups.
If you have cattle, then tie a bell around their necks,
so they make a commotion when they see wild
animals, and alert other domestic animals as well.
The bear is more scared of
people that they are afraid of it.
Please get these instructions read out in
the local mosque after the Friday prayers.
That way these conflict mitigation
measures will reach everyone.
Yes, I agree and will follow this up
The natural beauty of the park lies in the deep
valleys, rocky outcrops and rolling alpine pastures.
It also has the highest density of black bears in Asia.
We should not presume that the
conflicts will go all of a sudden.
Yes of course, if we have a landscape-level approach wherein
we try to connect the forested
habitats, it will definitely mitigate.
It will not end, no.
So as I said, it is not a problem
that will be solved over the years.
The bears will evolve with you,
and you have to evolve with them.