8
special report TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
CONFLICT ZONE Conflict awareness programmes held by Wildlife SOS education officer Aaliya Mir.
Bear-human conflict in Kashmir has cost the lives of both villagers and the animal.
MAN VERSUS
ANIMAL ELIZABETH SOUMYA, elizabeth.s@postnoon.com
F
our months ago, shocking footage from the district of Shopian in Kashmir went viral. An Asiatic black bear being tied to set on fire by a mob had climbed up a tree. Even as the animal had no place to escape, an amused crowd watched cheering for its death. Stories of the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) or ‘harpat’ as the Kashmiris call them visiting human habitations are not new. WR Lawrence’s work in the 19th century reveals, “…Of the family Ursidae, the black bear is very common, being a great pest to the crops and a danger to the people” (Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1895), and the people of Kashmir have long been wary of the ‘bomba hâpat’, with most venturing out with an axe when walking along forested paths (Dar, Tales of Kashmir). While these stories were never rare, they have never been so common either. The tales of confrontations with the black bear — also called moon bears because of the yellow crescent
moon on their chest — have become an urgent issue in Jammu and Kashmir. The state's department of wildlife protection's (DWLP) data on man-animal conflict in Kashmir indicates a discouraging increase after 1995.
THE CONFLICT
Humans have been attacked, mauled, had their faces torn leaving many permanently injured, disfigured and dead. Bears that are caught in villages and towns have been beaten, burnt, dragged through streets in gruesome retaliation. Vivek Menon, executive director, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) in a panel discussion on NDTV in November 2012 said about conflict's seriousness, “Ten per cent of hospital beds in Srinagar are occupied by bear maul victims at any given time.” The DWLP recorded 118 human deaths and 1,147 attacks by wildlife in Jammu and Kashmir from 2006 to 2011. The J&K government makes an ex-gratia payment of `1 lakh to the families of those killed by wild animals and between `5,000 and `33,000 to
attack victims depending on the nature of injuries endured. In 2007, in one such incident of revenge, a bear was burnt alive and dragged through the streets in Tral, Kashmir. The brutality of the event changed a young woman, Aaliya Mir, forever. She knew that understanding bears and the reasons for this growing conflict was key to avoiding them. Mir has been an education officer with Wildlife SOS since and
The advent of militancy and subsequent deployment of security forces across the Valley had an immediate impact on wildlife and its habitats. The 2008 'Predator Alert' report
has made awareness about bears the focus of her work.
WANING BUFFER ZONES
Explaining the reasons for the increase in such incidents, Mir points out that the buffer zones between forests and human habitations in Kashmir are waning. People are building houses at the foothills and planting fruit orchards. People here prefer separate houses and the rise in population has meant an inevitable move towards forests. Fragmentation, development projects, degradation of forest areas — including road construction in protected areas are few reasons — she says. What attracts bears towards human habitations is that much of what is grown by those living in the forest periphery now constitutes the bears’ natural diet. Apples, walnuts, apricots, maize, plums and cherries are open invitations for these animals. Many who earlier grew paddy have now switched to multiple cropping that includes fruit trees and maize, says Mir. Dr Rahul Kaul from the
Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) was part of the team that worked on a man-animal conflict report with the department of wildlife protection, Jammu & Kashmir. The report 'Predator Alert', released in 2008, studied conflict and suggested solutions. Over 200 victims of bear or leopard attacks were interviewed and over a hundred locations visited and inspected. Having grown up in Kashmir, Kaul says calmly, “This is after all a state that grows corn, fruit and all forms of nuts. These have always attracted bears to come to lower altitudes. There is a cycle of conflict and many incidents of bear attacks occur in autumn during the fruit ripening season or early winter when the animals are building up their fat reserves before going into hibernation.”
INCREASING INTOLERANCE
According to him, what has changed for certain is our ability to deal with the conflict. People are increasingly intolerant now, he says. “Much money and human labour is invested into crops and orchards and people
9
special report TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
PHOTO CREDIT: WILDLIFE SOS, DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE PROTECTION, JAMMU & KASHMIR
Rescued bears who can’t be reintroduced into the wild play at Wildlife SOS's Pahalgam bear centre.
Asiatic black bear
YEAR 2006 –07 2007-08 2008 2009 2010-11 2011-12 2012–13
Mir, on her awareness programmes across Kashmir, advises people to not venture into a forest alone. Whether to answer nature's call, gather firewood or take cattle grazing, they must go in groups. Surroundings must be kept clean so as to not attract animals to scavenge; bushes around the house must be cleared, so wild animals don't find a hiding place, she warns. Vulnerable areas such as crop fields and orchards must be adequately lit. She also recommends avoiding shortcuts through the forest and venturing out during dawn or dusk when the encounters are likely to occur. Other preventive measures that Wildlife SOS teaches locals include restricting human movement during a conflict so the stranded bear has 'safe passage' to escape back to the forest. It is also not advisable to grow crops vulnerable to be damaged by bears in high bear density areas, i.e. around protected areas. Local methods such as burning of red chilli mixed in cow dung are effective in preventing bears from entering crop fields.
DEATH
27 20 23 24 24 35 17
73 356 357 350
Asked if the political conflict in Kashmir makes dealing with animal conflict difficult, Mir confesses people could be preoccupied with other concerns and sometimes don't see conservation as a priority. Militancy has meant more security presence in the forests. India's Border Security Force camps and VIP huts in the forest can cause some disturbance to wildlife, she agrees. Many also believe that Kashmiris having surrendered their weapons after 1990s is a reason for the rise in bear numbers and attacks. The 'Predator Alert' report on militancy and its impact says, “The advent of militancy and subsequent deployment of security forces across the valley had an immediate impact on wildlife and its habitats. One of the first things to happen post-militancy was the surrender of private fire arms. This coupled with the fact that forest areas became out of
HOW TO DEAL WITH IT
Bear death and injury since 2006 in Kashmir
150 192 219
POLITICAL STIR
bounds for people (not wanting to confront the security forces or the militant groups) could only have provided opportunities for wildlife in these regions to grow in numbers.” The report also states, “...border fencing in certain areas may have hampered animal movements across areas, disorienting animals towards human settlements.” But with no bear census having been done in Kashmir, increase in bear numbers has not been confirmed. Disturbance due to presence of militants and security forces in the forests are also speculations unless studied, reminds Kaul.
he Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) is one of the four species of bear found in India. It primarily inhabits the Himalayas, extending from Jammu and Kashmir in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India.
INJURIES
are resentful to any damage.” Bears only attack when startled, he explains. “As a rule of thumb, when you're walking in a forest, make some noise, whistle while you're walking, so that the animal isn't caught off guard. Like other wild animals, bears with cubs can be defensive.” A bear that enters a village isn't always caught in a conflict, it might just raid the orchard and return to the forest, or if chased by humans it may run back into the forest. As in most man-animal conflict situations, it is the response of the people to the animal that can make it fatal. Crowds screaming and chasing an animal, blocking its exit can cause it to become disoriented and turn more aggressive. Many have been attacked by bears trying to escape a chasing mob.
T
(SOURCE DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE PROTECTION, JAMMU AND KASHMIR)
Kaul explains that reaching a conflict area in Kashmir isn't always easy. If a bear has entered a village, waiting for department of wildlife protection (DWLP) might even take days in difficult terrain. In the 2008 report, he says recommendations made included better co-ordination in the wildlife department in case of conflict. The DWLP in Jammu and Kashmir only has control over conservation reserves. So, when conflicts occur outside these areas, there is no manpower to deal with it. The report also suggested creation of Rapid Response Teams to deal with conflict, requiring both training and investment in specialised equipment. “Mobile animal intervention vans, capable of transporting animals, should be made immediately available. One wildlife veterinary officer should also be appointed to each region,” it said. Now, thankfully, rescue vans have made the situation better, says Kaul. Another piece of advice was training of community level Primary Response Teams. “These can be farmers who have some clout in the community,” he says. “This would include controlling crowds from tackling the situation themselves before experts arrive.”
RECOMMENDATIONS
Manzoor Ahmed Tak, chief wildlife warden, DWLP, says the department is just about wrapping up a project report on the conflict to be submitted to the ministry of environment and forests. Among recommendations in the report are census of bears in the state. Ex-gratia payments for victims of bear attacks needs to be a priority, he believes. The current amount is too meagre in the light of what
victims go through and the lengthy period of recovery that renders them useless. “Hundred per cent of the victims are from lower economic backgrounds,” he says. Majority of the injuries are to the head and face and often include permanent and severe facial disfigurement that require complicated surgeries. Needless to say, victims have to cope with psychological morbidity and trauma. The department has made some headway after 2006 and there has at least been a plan since, he admits. There are currently 17 response teams across Rapid Response Centres that are located in high conflict zones such as Kupwara and Anantnag. Helplines are constantly advertised through local radio and television and people are beginning to use them, he says. But infrastructure and the equipping of manpower are scarcely adequate. Lack of manpower is an issue with the department not having done recruitment for years; “old employees are now retiring,” says Tak. That apart, the current number of trained staff is low. “We also need supplies such as tranquilising guns, medicines and rescue vans,” he says. While there's no way of saying whether the conflict is reducing in recent years, Mir, who talks to 6,000 people every year on the topic, says change has definitely begun. The DWLP receives less number of rescue calls now and this is perceived as lesser conflict by the wildlife department, she says. Tak points out that human deaths have been fewer for the year 2012-13. Actions based on information and reports need to be taken, he says. Whether people want to live in harmony with bears or not, the only option is to learn how.