Kulgam, Aug 26 (KNO): For 62-year-old Abdul Salam Teeli, a resident of Ahmadabad village of Damhal Hanjipora, Kulgam, what began as an ordinary morning in his apple orchard quickly turned into a fight for survival.
Teeli said he left his home around 11 am and reached his orchard around 11:30 am along with his wife and daughter-in-law.
“Shortly after reaching the orchard, I heard that a bear had attacked a person nearby. When I heard the cries, I tried to run away with my wife and daughter-in-law. The bear then turned towards me and attacked me as well,” he told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
Recalling the frightening moments, Teeli said the animal came close before attacking him, leaving him with injuries to his head. “Such a time should never come again in my life. The moment was like a heart attack,” he said.
Teeli was shifted to a hospital for treatment. The other person injured in the attack was also taken to a medical facility.
A growing number of bear attacks across Kashmir have triggered concern among residents, particularly those living close to forests, orchards and agricultural areas, with wildlife experts attributing the rising human-bear encounters to habitat disturbance, easy availability of food and increasing human activity around wildlife habitats.
From south Kashmir to Srinagar and north Kashmir, bear attacks are on the rise, leaving people injured and, in some cases, creating fear among the population dependent on orchards and fields. Dozens of people have suffered injuries so far this year, while some have suffered fatal casualties.
According to official statistics, 32 people have been killed while 350 injured in wild animal attacks in Jammu and Kashmir over two years.
A total of 9,301 wild animal attacks were reported across the Union Territory in 2023–24, in which 18 people were killed and 137 injured.
The highest number of attacks, 1,444, was reported from Jammu district, followed by 1,173 in the border district of Kupwara in north Kashmir, 998 in Kishtwar, 950 in Baramulla, 826 in Doda, 756 in Ramban, 750 in Bandipora, 667 in Anantnag, 367 in Pulwama, 230 in Udhampur, 224 in Shopian, 218 in Budgam, 135 in Kulgam, 110 in Rajouri, 92 in Ganderbal, 86 in Srinagar, 70 in Poonch and 15 in Reasi.
In 2024–25, a total of 6,360 wild animal attacks were reported in the Union Territory, in which 14 people lost their lives, and 213 were injured. The highest number of attacks in 2024–25 occurred in Jammu, with 1,341 incidents, followed by 686 in Ramban, 673 in Kishtwar, 637 in Anantnag, 609 in Doda, 381 in Pulwama, 311 in Udhampur, 309 in Budgam, 252 in Kupwara, 219 in Shopian, 182 in Baramulla, 174 in Kathua, 153 in Bandipora, 143 in Kulgam, 82 each in Ganderbal and Poonch, 80 in Rajouri, and 46 in Srinagar.
Over 50 control rooms have been set up across J&K to provide a continuous response to wildlife emergencies and conflict situations. These control rooms are equipped with a range of specialised tools, including tranquillising guns, net guns, snake-catching sticks, protective gear such as helmets and gloves, and cages of various sizes. Some facilities also have night-vision binoculars, camera traps, GPS devices, walkie-talkies, searchlights, surveillance drones and vehicles, and are staffed by trained personnel for immediate action.
Most of the attacks took place in the morning hours when people arrived to work in orchards and agricultural lands, an official said, adding that the most vulnerable areas are those with the highest tree coverage and the largest extent of protected areas, including forests, riverine vegetation and meadows that support a more varied prey base.
Wildlife researcher and conservationist Kashif Farooq Bhat said the increase in human-bear encounters during this period should be viewed in the context of habitat disturbance and seasonal food availability.
“There could be many reasons that human-bear interactions are more, but this is nothing new as we have been seeing it over the past years,” Bhat told KNO.
According to him, disturbance in natural habitats and the availability of food outside forests are among the possible reasons.
He explained: “We are observing that bears are roaming in cities and villages for days. The question is, what does it feed on? We throw a lot of household garbage and horticultural waste. This is the apple harvesting season in Kashmir, and those apples could be the prime attraction for bears. Maize is also available in the same season, so it is quite evident that during the harvesting season human-bear interactions can be more."
Bhat said land surrounding protected areas that was traditionally used as grazing land has increasingly been converted into agricultural and horticultural fields as well as human settlements.
“That means we have entered a little into the national park, and growing agricultural and horticultural crops gives an open invitation to bears to come to these lands,” he said.
The researcher said the nature of human-bear interaction has also changed over the years. “Earlier, when bears approached these grazing lands, people would scare them away. But the story is entirely different now,” he said.
Anthropogenic disturbance inside and around wildlife habitats, coupled with careless disposal of household and horticultural waste, could be among the major drivers of conflict, he added.
On whether the bear population itself has increased, Bhat said the number of attacks cannot be used to establish a population increase. “As far as the population of Asiatic black bears is concerned, we cannot declare whether the population has increased or decreased on the basis of human-bear interactions,” he said, adding that scientific population estimation is required to establish the actual status of the species.
“Once those scientific studies are conducted, the reasons for major conflict will be clear,” he said, adding that anthropogenic disturbance cannot be ruled out as a major driver of human-bear interactions.
According to Bhat, areas surrounding protected forests are particularly vulnerable, especially where apple orchards, maize and bean cultivation provide easily accessible food.
“Food remains highly available, and bears most often visit those areas,” he said.
Bhat said local communities have a key role in reducing human-bear encounters.
He advised people not to encroach upon, alter or disturb natural wildlife habitats and stressed the need for proper disposal of household and horticultural waste rather than dumping it along roadsides or in open areas.
People living close to protected areas should keep outdoor lights on and avoid allowing children and women to move alone outside, particularly after sunset, he advised.
Bhat urged residents to follow directions issued by the Wildlife Protection Department. “Most importantly, if a bear is sighted in the locality, people should stay calm, go out in groups and not alone, inform the Department of Wildlife and not take the matter into their own hands,” he added—(KNO)