Certificate - Etheses - Saurashtra University

use of these habitat categories. Similarly, the habitat use pattern by brown bears
showed marked seasonal variation. Various terrain types: flat, undulating, gentle slope
and steep slope were found to be differentially used by brown bears in the study area.
But the use of flat terrain by brown bear was maximum, followed by gentle slope,
undulating terrain and steep slope. Brown bears were found to use flat terrain
maximum in Agricultural land, undulating terrain maximum in Near water bodies,
river and streams and gentle slope terrain maximum in Riverine forest. The expected
use of these terrain types was found to be directly proportional to the availability of
these terrains. The utilization of each terrain category was also in proportion to its
occurrence.
The Chapter 6 deals with the human-brown bear conflicts. Information on human
casualties, livestock killings and nature and extent of damage to agricultural and
horticultural crops by brown bears was collected from the records of the forest
department and by talking to field staff. Through village interviews, information on
cropping pattern, nature and extent of damage to agricultural crops, time of depredation
and protection methods, and collection of non-timber forest produce and time of their
collection by villagers was also collected.
There were few cases of brown bears showing aggression to shepherds in different
dhars. The migratory graziers used 22 grazing pastures or dhars in the sanctuary from
April to October every year, and there were a total of 1539 livestock casualties by
brown bears in different pastures during 2002-2004. Among all these dhars,
maximum livestock depredation occurred in Nanaun dhar, followed by Ghiula dhar,
Bharali Kinnaur dhar, Bhiad dhar, Andharli Kinnaur dhar, Ghei dhar, Duggi dhar,
Sarni dhar, Bhunkar dhar, Bhug dhar, Andharali Dhamel dhar and Mundi dhar.
Livestock depredation varied in different months, and maximum depredation on sheep
and goat occurred during August, followed by September, July, June, May and
October. Brown bears were to cause maximum depredation during night (62.8%),
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