Subscribe
The brown bear population in Jammu & Kashmir is severely disturbed and under threat, conservation nonprofit Wildlife SOS told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in a report on November 11, 2024.
The causes include the growing human population, habitat degradation, tourism expansion, road development, tunnelling, livestock grazing (sheep and goats), retaliatory killings, expansion of shrine-related infrastructure, afforestation in natural habitats, and collection of medicinal plants, among other human activities.
Wildlife SOS, in collaboration with the Jammu & Kashmir Wildlife Protection Department, launched a pilot research project to study Himalayan brown bears and investigate factors driving human-bear conflicts.
The resulting report, titled Himalayan Brown Bear Ecological and Human-Bear Conflict Investigation in Kashmir with Special Reference to Bear Habitation around Garbage Dumps in the Central Wildlife Division, was prepared with inputs from foresters, wildlife managers, policymakers, researchers and local communities addressing human-bear conflicts in Jammu & Kashmir.
For analysis, the research team utilised 20,627 camera trap images documenting brown bear activity, with 62 per cent (9,131 images) showing foraging behaviour. Scat analysis was conducted to determine the diet of brown bears in the Himalayas.
The team carefully examined the faecal matter for shape, size, colour, consistency and odour. Alarmingly, out of 408 scat samples analysed, 86 contained indigestible items, including plastic bags, milk powder packets, chocolate wrappers, glass fragments and calorie-dense food products that could reduce the bears’ lifespan.
The analysis revealed that anthropogenic food items, such as chicken feathers, claws, eggshells, sheep hair and bones, were frequently found alongside food waste like chana dal, pigeon pea beans, groundnut, rice, oats and fruit seeds. The report stated that food waste items occurred in 75.03 per cent of scat samples, compared to wild plant matter (15.48 per cent), plastic bags (8.77 per cent), crop raids (0.41 per cent) and sheep predation (0.31 per cent).
During the research, it was observed that brown bears frequented garbage sites managed by the Sonamarg Development Authority (SDA) at Sarbal, Army transit camps and the Amarnath camp. Between three and 11 garbage vehicles disposed of 50 to 550 kilogrammes of food waste daily at the SDA site, providing easy foraging grounds that have led bears to abandon their natural feeding habits.
The report warned that this behaviour, if continued by subsequent generations, could fundamentally alter feeding patterns, potentially worsening human-bear conflicts. Additionally, the presence of shepherds and livestock within prime bear habitats was noted as a major contributor to these conflicts.
The report identified the brown bear population in the region as vulnerable due to ongoing habitat degradation and encroachment on forest land, resulting in more frequent and dangerous human-bear interactions. Encroachment and inadequate waste management during the high tourist season (May-December) further compound these issues.
About 7-10 tonnes of solid waste are generated daily in Sonamarg, Jammu & Kashmir, which rises to 20 tonnes in peak tourist season, according to the SDA, the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (J&K PCC) told the NGT in a report on November 11, 2024.
The authority has established a solid waste management facility at Sarbal; however, large amounts of untreated waste were found around the facility, with no proper arrangements for compost disposal, the report said.
The J&K PCC in the report recommended that the SDA properly fence the facility to prevent wildlife from accessing waste. A weighbridge should also be installed to monitor waste intake and treatment and open dumping around the facility should be prohibited. Secondary segregation of waste is also needed to improve dry and wet waste processing.
The report aligns with the NGT’s August 5, 2024 order, directing the J&K PCC to assess the impact of tourism, construction, grazing, agriculture, settlements, highways and tunnelling in brown bear habitats, as well as food waste disposal practices in Sonamarg. Based on the findings of a three-member committee, the Regional Director of J&K PCC submitted this report to the NGT.