Emergency Measures Authorised as Bear Attacks Intensify
The Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in India has been forced to implement emergency rules following a dramatic increase in violent encounters with Asiatic black bears. Forest officials have now authorised the use of lethal force in extreme circumstances as the region grapples with its deadliest year for bear attacks since 2016.
According to figures from The Indian Express, at least five people have been killed in bear attacks this year alone. The rising toll has left scores injured and caused extensive livestock losses in remote mountain villages where communities depend heavily on cattle for their survival.
Climate Change Disrupts Natural Bear Behaviour
The crisis has emerged during what should be the pre-hibernation period, when bears typically consume large amounts of food before retreating to higher altitudes for winter. However, officials report that changing weather patterns have fundamentally disrupted this cycle.
RK Mishra, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, directly linked the unusual aggression to climatic shifts. "This year, there has been very little snowfall in the high-altitude regions, and winter arrived late", he told The New Indian Express. "Normally, bears hibernate by early November, but the lack of snow and scarcity of food are keeping them active, leading to increased restlessness and aggression."
Warmer temperatures, delayed snowfall and shrinking natural food availability are believed to be keeping bears active for longer and driving them closer to human settlements in search of sustenance.
Human Cost and Community Impact
The human impact has been devastating. In Chamoli district, a woman seriously injured while collecting grass had to be airlifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Rishikesh. Medical staff confirmed she lost her left eye and suffered partial vision loss in her right eye. Shockingly, officials revealed she lay undiscovered for nearly 24 hours on a steep forested slope before rescue teams reached her.
Villagers across the Garhwal region report repeated night-time raids on cattle pens. In the Paithani range of Pauri district, more than 45 cattle were killed within just three months. Divisional Forest Officer Abhimanyu Singh noted that at least four bears were moving through the area, making it difficult to identify which animal was responsible for individual attacks.
The situation has become so dangerous in some villages that forest officers have begun escorting schoolchildren to ensure safe travel.
New Guidelines and Long-term Solutions
Authorities have circulated updated winter guidelines for managing human-bear conflicts. Officials are now instructed to:
- Identify areas with recent bear sightings
- Increase night patrols
- Carry tranquillisation kits and protective equipment
- Maintain rescue cages ready for deployment
Communities have been advised to avoid forests during early morning and evening hours when encounters are most likely, and to improve waste management practices since open rubbish dumps attract wildlife.
For longer-term resolution, the department plans to plant native species including oak, kafal and wild berries within forest areas to improve natural food availability. They're also strengthening training for field staff and instructing district units to prepare conflict-management plans tailored to local terrain and seasonal patterns.
Across Uttarakhand, the Himalayan black bear - a subspecies found between 1,200m and 3,300m in altitude - has been sighted in protected reserves and near towns including Gopeshwar, Mussoorie, Chakrata and Pithoragarh. Bears have increasingly been seen foraging in rubbish heaps around urban edges, a pattern experts connect to disrupted food cycles.
Climate specialists and wildlife biologists warn that the unusual aggression and increased movement likely reflect both habitat degradation and global warming. Reduced snowfall shortens hibernation periods, meaning bears remain active when wild food is scarcest. Similar conflicts are rising in other countries including Japan and Canada, where loss of wild berries and native fruits has also been documented.
