One person was injured in an attack by a bear at Lar, Ganderbal. A leopard recently attacked a child in north Kashmir injuring him critically. Some such incidents also took place in other areas too. The bears have started their movement towards the orchards to, as the trees are laden with fruit.
Their movement will further increase in view of the coming fruit harvesting season. In view of their increasing movement towards the orchards and residential areas, there are apprehensions of more incidents of conflict between them and the humans. Leopards keep on entering residential areas and attack people, particularly children. Several persons have lost their lives in the incidents.
Series of attacks on children were witnessed in north Kashmir particularly in Uri a few years back causing many deaths. During winter the leopard attack incidents occur frequently. The officials of Wildlife Protection Department are on toes when reports of leopard sighting and subsequent attacks surface up.
The officials have managed to prevent large number of conflicts by trapping the wild animals, but being understaffed they cannot be everywhere, everytime. There is a need to strengthen the department with manpower and more equipment. The people will have also to take steps to prevent such incidents of human-wildlife conflict. The increasing population of stray dogs in residential areas is leading to such incidents.
The dogs fall prey to leopards, who are in search of food. Whenever there are reports of movement of leopards in residential areas, residents must strictly follow the advisory, issued by Wildlife Protection Department. The advisory includes restriction of movement of people during evening and early morning hours. Keeping proper lighting around the residential houses as the leopards hide in darkness.
Other such points are also mentioned in the advisory. The human intervention into wildlife habitat has to be avoided. Development is important but not at the cost of wildlife. Whenever the wild animals are disturbed in their habitat they move towards human habitat causing human-wildlife conflict.