Pack of brown bears in J&K brings cheers

Spotting of a pack of critically endangered Himalayan brown bears in Jammu and Kashmir’s Drass sector has delighted wildlife experts who say it indicates rising population of the rare species.

A team, headed by Kargil Wildlife Warden Intesar Suhail, spotted the pack of 8 brown bears in Drass area of frontier Ladakh region on May 12. Suhail says it is for the first time in recorded history that 8 brown bears were spotted together anywhere in India or Asia.

“In sub-continent it (brown bear) is distributed in Pakistan, Pakistan occupied Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and J&K. At all these places it has never been spotted in such large numbers together. Even nowhere in Asia such spotting has been recorded,” he told Deccan Herald.

Last year, 3 brown bears were wandering around Handwara-Zachaldara belt in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, which is close to the Line of Control (LoC). Two bears were sighted in Furkiangali and Kachhama areas of the district in 2014.

The Himalayan brown bear is the smallest sub-species of the brown bear. Brown bear species are found across the world, but its Himalayan counterpart in the northern mountainous areas of India and Pakistan, is critically endangered.

The actual population of brown bear is  not known. But according to an estimate by Wildlife Institute of India in 2006, there could be about 500-750 brown bears in the country. It’s known that the species has  disappeared from Bhutan and only 150-200 exist in Pakistan.

The excited wildlife expert believes that the latest sighting indicates the population of the endangered animal is increasing in J&K. “In the latest sight, 3 females were spotted with three cubs which means breeding process is going on. It is good news which indicates the population of the rare is not on decline,” he said.

Suhail and his team had to trek a difficult border terrain for 3 hours to spot these animals.  “Usually sightings are only reported during the night, that too of a solitary bear or with a cub.  We expect more animals are active in the area. The population of brown bear is declining all over and sightings are rare elsewhere. But in our state these animals have been spotted in Hirpora (Shopian) and Poonch. But at all these places only a single animal or a female with one cub has been spotted,” the wildlife warden added.

Asked what could be the reason for increase in the numbers of brown bear, he said, “We can’t say what the exact reason is. Poaching has been contained to a large extent and it can be one of the reasons. During 1999 Kargil war there was heavy artillery shelling for 3 months and it had devastated the bear habitat. But it seems the impact is waning now and it could be the other reason for increase in the numbers.”

“In 2008, an extensive survey, carried out by the Rufford Foundation and the State Wildlife Department in Kargil district did not record a single Himalayan brown bear sighting. However, in 2012 they did another survey and some animals were sighted but not together,” he added.

The rare animal, which had become elusive after insurgency hit Kashmir in 1989, has been seen 6  times in the past 2 years, bringing hope to conservationists. Rashid Naqash, a senior wildlife officer, says brown bears used to be one of the most widespread land mammals, but their species is threatened.

“The new sighting has given some hope as it is a good beginning. The brown bear loves upper Alpine areas but in early 1990s violence and increased militarisation destroyed its habitat,” Naqash said. Conservation of brown bear and other endangered species is not impossible if right steps are taken.

However, some experts believe militancy played a role in preventing poaching of the brown bear. “Before 1990, the animal was poached for its fur, claws and internal organs. But after militancy erupted, authorities in Kashmir banned possession of arms which saved the wild animal. There was less poaching since 1990 compared to before,” they said.

Naqash says brown bears are the second largest species of bear as only the polar bear is larger. They have a body length between 2 and 3 metres and they weigh between 100 and 1,000 kg. Males can be up to 50 % larger than females.

Brown bears feed on insects, small crustaceans, alpine bulbs and roots of plants, shoots of young grasses, domestic goats, sheep, and voles. They feed actively from 1-2 hours before sunrise and again for several hours in the late afternoon and evening. They are nocturnal, and their sense of smell is acutely developed and believed to be their principal means of finding food, he said.

Adult bears normally go into hibernation (dormancy) at the end of October and emerge around the following March or April.  They excavate their own hibernating lair or den under a large boulder or between the roots of a stunted tree, or they may utilise a natural cavern, Naqash said.

Mating occurs in the spring and early summer, and the females give birth to cubs, generally 2 in number. The cubs are blind at birth and weigh no more than 1 kg at birth.
The cubs stay in the lair with their mother until she first emerges from hibernation in late April, and will remain with their mother for 2 to 3 years, he added.

International trade in bears, or their parts, is banned under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) and by the Wildlife Protection Act in India.