KARGIL, JUNE 19, 2021: Brown bears break into animal sheds and storerooms causing damage to livestock and stored food items in different hamlets of Drass, reported Murtaza Agha, a social activist from the area, in a number of tweets.

The bear attack has become a routine that compels the villagers to safeguard livestock and property even at night. In his first tweet, Murtaza said that the villagers have to safeguard their livestock throughout the night. The attack caused damage to property, and livestock every day. Tagging the Lieutenant Governor office tweeter handle and Deputy Commissioner Kargil Santosh Sukhadeve, Murtaza tweeted, “We seek Hn (Hon’ble) @lg_ladakh intervention to end this menace and implement a policy before it turns into a tragedy”.

When probably received no response from the local administration Murtaza Agha tagged Indian Forest Service officer Ramesh Pandey. “…We have a serious problem of brown bear attack, damaging livestock sheds, killing animals even danger to humans also. This place is called Drass in Ladakh. The govt hasn’t played any role to save livestock as well as the rare brown bear”.

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“We stand guard whole night in fear of brown bear attack. They come for food, break in store rooms, eat all the stored food. It’s now have become a habit. People will kill the cubs or bear if it lasts this way for long. Request your intervention if possible.”

As per a tweet by Murtaza, the number of brown bears in the area is around 20. Pertinent to mention that brown bear attacks had reported many times in the last few years. The bear appears for the first time in the month of April every year, people threaten and chase them too far places that normally do not return for months.

However, two months earlier, a bear that had two cubs break into a store at Bhimbat where the two cubs stuck inside and the mother bear escaped. In the incident, one cub disappeared and another rejoined her mother. For the last two months, the mother bear with her cub has not left the village causing damage to property on daily basis.

Last night, the bear break inside the storeroom annexed to Murtaza’s house. In another incident, the cub had come inside the bedroom. In such a case, the villagers are fearing for their babies and children.

Another person from the village said that in another incident of brown bear attack goats, sheep, and hens of a poor household had damaged. The livestock was partially their source of livelihood. Last year, a bear had killed a cow at Murtaza’s place. On average on daily basis four-five poultry get killed.

The bear attack is a major concern in Bhimbat, Biaras, Thongos, Chokyal, Muradbagh, Goshan, and Matayin. People set fire and smoke in the house vicinity to prevent attacks but it seems that this has become a new normal for the bear also, that does not scare her anymore.

In a telephonic interview with VoL correspondent, Wild Life Department staff at Drass Khadim Hussain said that the sub-office has reported the issue to district headquarter at Kargil.

Wildlife warden in Kargil Raza Ali said that his office provides compensation to the farmers who lose livestock like cows, goats, and sheep in such attacks. However, there is no provision for compensation for poultry loss. As per sources from Drass, the major loss has been made to poultry.

Khadim further said that the compensation against claims received in the year 2020 has been paid off while there are around 15 claims received to date in 2021 that will be paid off by the end of the year.

Warden Raza Ali said that some problematic bears are located in these areas but to stop its attack on livestock we need to keep them in a rescue center for some time which is not available now. However, the department has already taken up the issue with higher authorities since last year. Funds have already been approved for the development of the rescue center but the land is not allotted yet. Whenever we get a suitable place for its establishment, it will be developed.

“For time being we are taking various measures like consistent patrolling, use of crackers, lights, and wires”, Raza Ali added.

On asking why the bear damage poultry livestock in villages, the Wild Life warden said that it has two potential causes, firstly, due to the non-availability of enough food to eat. For which the department has grown plants that bear-like to intake. Second, their presence has been increased due to food conditioning. They have become habitual of eating livestock. Raza Ali further informed that in 1861 a foreign researcher has recorded Drass as a place that has an abundance of “Red Bear”. Actually, he meant Brown Bear but he replaced it with brown.