Bears not hibernating, attacking humans; Uttarakhand govt concerned

Rishikesh, Dec 19 (PTI) Despite more than half of December having passed, the bears in Uttarakhand have not yet gone into hibernation, raising concerns among wildlife experts and the state government, officials said.

The state has also reported several incidents of them becoming aggressive and attacking humans, they said.

Wildlife experts said that bear and snake species hibernate during the winter, and this is their instinct.

They explained that before going into hibernation, these species often exhibit aggressive behaviour to accumulate fat in their bodies.

However, they said that the unusual behaviour of bears not going into hibernation and remaining active during the cold weather has become a mystery.

State Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal said that climate change is a very broad factor that is having an unpredictable impact.

He described the incidents of bears attacking humans in various parts of the state as worrying, saying that this is the time when wild bears should be in deep hibernation, but in some places, they are roaming in fields and farms.

Uniyal said that to understand the reasons for this, the Uttarakhand government will conduct a detailed study through wildlife research institutions to find out why the bears have not gone into hibernation in their natural habitats.

He said that based on the findings of the study report, efforts will be made to resolve this public problem in the state.

Uniyal has also instructed the Forest Department to conduct intensive patrolling in populated areas adjacent to the state's forests and has asked the public to exercise extra caution.

The head of the state's Forest Department, Ranjan Kumar Mishra, said that most of the bear attack incidents have occurred outside protected forest areas, and this will be reviewed.

He said that the reasons why wild bears are not using their natural habitats in the forest area will only be known after the study, after which an action plan will be prepared and implemented accordingly. PTI DPT SHS