Frequent bear attacks in hills have led to ‘Bear fight’ between BJP and Cong in Uttarakhand  

Frequent bear attacks in hills have led to ‘Bear fight’ between BJP and Cong in Uttarakhand

B.D. Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, Nov 22

The people of Uttarakhand particularly those living in the hills after facing natural disasters during monsoon and frequent leopard attacks, are now facing a peculiar threat of attacks by wild black bears. Already five persons have been killed and dozens injured in attacks by bears this year. Such bear attacks have been reported from all over the hilly districts of the state.

The threat to life by man eating leopards and now bears has to led protest and demands to tackle the menace. The villagers of Devprayag laid a siege of the Forest guest house demanding laying of a cage to capture man eating leopard in their area last week.

The issue of attacks by wild animals has also resulted in a political slugfest with ruling BJP and Congress accusing each other. The newly appointed Uttarakhand Congress Chief Ganesh Godiyal led a demonstration to the office of the Forest department last week. With a symbolic toy AK 47 in his hand, he warned that if the state government fail to protect the common people from wild animal attacks, people would be forced to defend themselves. The BJP showing a photo of state Congress chief with toy gun in his hand commented on social media that whether Ganesh Godiyal is a chief of a political party or a terrorist organisation. This has led to a war of words between the leaders of both the parties.

Following, a hue and cry by the concerned villagers across the state, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced that those wild animals which are threat to human life would be killed. The forest department has issued instructions for special vigil to tackle the problem.

He also announced that ex-gratia grant to the next of those killed by wild animals has been raised from Rs. five lakhs to Rs ten lakhs now.

Forest and wild life experts are of the view that lack of natural food in the forests, lack of management of garbage, have forced bears to look for food in the vicinity off human settlements where they find food and livestock to devour.

Between 2000 and November 17 this year, Uttarakhand has recorded 71 deaths and 2,009 injuries in bear attacks, highlighting the gravity of the situation.

Narendra Singh, (36) had to be admitted in a Haldwani hospital for treatment of his injuries, afflicted after three wild bears attacked him on Friday evening in Jaykot village of Dharchula sub-division of Pithoragarh district.

“We have immediately availed a state helicopter to lift the injured person to Haldwani hospital, where he is undergoing treatment for his injuries,” said Jitendra Verma, SDM, Dharchula

“The incident occurred, when Narendra Singh was going to another village alone and was attacked by three bears, he was rescued from the bears by labourers, who reached the spot hearing his cries, forcing the bears to run away from spot, “said the SDM.

According to villagers, following attacks by bears and leopards in the three blocks of the district, they are afraid to go out of their homes.” It is third incident of wild bear attack, in a fortnight time, as the bears are reaching to human settlements after cold weather forced them to come down to lower valleys in the winter in search of food,” said Kala Baral, a resident of Jaykot village of Dharchula sub-division.

Before the Friday incident, the wild bears also attacked two women, Naru Devi and Meena Devi on November 14, this year, in which Meena Devi was badly injured. ” Earlier, Narendra Singh of Dar village of Dharchula was injured by a bear near his village last week, when he had gone to forest to graze his goats, “said Kala Baral.

According to villagers of Munsiyari, the villagers of Bona village are in panic due to frequent sighting of wild bear herd near their village.” We have last week complained to the forest department to make arrangements to safeguard them from possible attacks of wild bears,” said Vikram Danu, a Youth Congress leader and resident of Bona village of Munsiyari sub-division of the district.

Wild life menace, specially menace of wild bears in valleys close to high Himalayan regions of this district has not only killed and injured villagers but also made the routine of villagers risky in these days when the bear herds have migrated to lower valleys to escape chilling cold in higher reaches. Sources said.

Himalayan bear families are being frequently seen in Pangla area of Dharchula, where the forest department has run an awareness programme from last week.” Keeping in mind over five  bear sighting incidents in Pangla  area, we are running awareness campaign in that area,” said Pithoragarh District Forest Officer (DFO) Ashutosh Singh.

“We have formed teams of forest officers to aware the villagers of menace of bears by informing them that the bears have come to lower valleys and attack when confronted, ” said Ashutosh Singh.

He said that due to change in hibernation pattern of bears following weather change and disturbances in their habitats, the bears are descending to human settlements.

He further explained that the increased bear sighting in Pangla area of Dharchula is due to a road project in that area as the bear habitats has been disturbed. “We have this year from April to the day have witnessed eight bear attack incidents in which the victims got injured,” said the DFO.

“The bears are now being seen in highways, as we have seen a bear family on Tawaghat road recently,” said Shalu Datal, a resident of Dharchula.

Sapna Bisht, Gram pradhan of Pangla village said that the water mill, used to grind grains in his village was broken by bears probably to eat maize grains put there for grind.” After that incident, the villagers have stopped going towards the water mill situated in Ghatkhila sublet of the village,” “said Sapna.

The villages situated in the lower valleys of Munsiyari sub- division, situated near high Himalayan region, are mostly affected by wild bear menace these days. ” In search of food, the bears have broken roofs of most of the closed homes of migrating villagers in Johar valley, “said Puran Pandey, a resident of Munsiyari town

Sapna Bisht, said that, a 40 years old villagers Narayan Singh has died due to falling into deep gorge, probably after he ran to save himself from bear attack when he was working in his field. “We have received information of active bear herds in this area. We have formed a team to investigate if Narayan Singh died while escaping from bear,” said B.S. Almiya, Range officer of Dharchula range of Pithoragarh forest division.

In Bhatigaon area of Thal, market, the villagers are in threatened due to presence of a bear family visible from last four days. “After the Bear family was seen near the primary school, some four days ago, the children are afraid to go to their school while women have also reduced rounds to go to near forest to collect fodder,” said Umesh Pathak, a social worker in the area.

In Pauri Garhwal’s Bironkhal block, Lakshmi Devi (40) was severely injured while cutting grass with other women following a bear attack on November 17. She was treated at Bironkhal Community Health Centre and later referred to a higher facility for specialized care.

Similar attacks have been reported in Paithani and Thalisain of Pauri Garhwal district, where women had