Man-animal conflict reaches Srinagar city

Attack on a security guard of a school in Srinagar city and injuries to him, indicates where the man-wild animal conflict has reached now. Till now such incidents used to occur in the villages, near to forests. But now the people in the city are also not safe because of this conflict.

Capturing of the bear and its cub by the officials of wild life protection department provided the much needed relief to the people living in the vicinity.

   

The authorities had advised them to take precaution and stay indoors after the bear and its cub were spotted and the security guard of the school injured in their attack.

The managements of private schools in the areas had ordered the closure of their schools for Monday.

This was for the first time that such an order was issued in Srinagar due to fear of attack by wild animals. Since the bear and its cub were captured on Sunday night, the order regarding school closure was withdrawn and educational institutions functioned normally on Monday. During this time of the season black bears, in search of food, are usually spotted in the villages near the forests.

They eat fruit in orchards before their hibernation for winter months. Reports of bears attacking farmers keep on pouring in. More badly injured have to undergo treatment in Srinagar hospitals.

It is not only the black bears attacking people here, this year a number of persons were killed or injured in attacks by leopards particularly in north Kashmir.

A girl and two boys were mauled to death by leopards within four days in Uri.

The incidents shocked the people and panic gripped the affected areas. According to official figures, nine persons were killed in wild animal attacks last year. Five persons died in such incidents in 2020, 11 in 2019 and eight in 2018. Scores others were injured.

There is no end to man-animal conflict. According to experts the human population expansion in areas close to forests and wild life sanctuaries is leading to such incidents. Due to the human intervention in natural habitat of the animals, the latter come out from there.

The wild animals adapt to live in human dominated places because of the easy food availability. The more the human interference in wild animals’ habitat, the more will be the number of incidents and intensity of this conflict.

There is need to minimise or stop this human intervention to reduce the man-wild animal conflict. Secondly, the understaffed Wildlife Protection Department needs to be strengthened with more man power and more equipments.

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