Bear census on the cards as fatalities mounting

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 3

With seven persons falling victim to black bear attacks in the state during the last four months, the wildlife wing of the Forest Department has decided to engage shooters to kill one such bear in Theog and at the same time undertake enumeration of the animal which has high concentration in Shimla, Sirmour, Kullu and Chamba districts.

While two persons had fallen victim in the 15 attacks by bears between April 2014 to March 2015 but this year seven people have already been mauled and killed by bear since April this year. A 60-year-old woman, Sadho Devi, resident of village Kadevad in Kiari Panchayat of Theog, is struggling for life here after being severely injured by a bear yesterday.

It was after the matter was brought to the notice of Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri by villagers of Kiari today that directions have been issued to engage shooters to kill the bear as there is fear among the people of the area.

“I have asked the officials to get the bear killed and at the same time initiate an exercise to get an estimate of the bear population in the state,” said Bharmouri. After taking permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden, the bear would be shot, he added.

As a precautionary measure it has been decided to ask all villagers in the areas to move around in groups and not venture alone during early and evening hours when the chances of an encounter with a bear are higher. The villagers will be given an advisory to avoid being attacked by bears as it is to eat the maize crop that bears invariably venture to the fields which they do not frequent otherwise.

Conservator (Wildlife) Shimla Alok Prem Nagar said trap cameras would be installed in areas where there are bear dens so that there can be an idea about their numbers. He said there has been no population estimation of bears in the state so far.

He said a sum of Rs 8.59 lakh had been disbursed as compensation to the families of those killed and injured in bear attacks. The Wildlife Department has empanelled shooters from Sirmour, Solan and Parwanoo whose help is sought whenever any animals turns a man eater.

People residing in Jeori area near Rampur too had faced a lot of problem during the winters due to frequent encounter with bears. Out of the seven people killed this year, three were from Rampur area and three from the adjoining area of Ani, falling in district Kullu. There have been some instances of bear attacks even in Bharmour area of Chamba which has a sizable brown bear population.