Certificate - Etheses - Saurashtra University

human beings. The resources available in the vicinity of the villages are non-timber
forest produce and agricultural crops: maize (Zea mays), phulen (Fagopyrum sp.) and
wheat (Triticum aestivum) etc., which perhaps attract bears to live in these areas and
thus have resulted in human-brown bear conflicts. Further due to encroachment on the
forest land and continuous habitat degradation in the course of time, the status of the
bears not only be endangered in this area, but it may also lead to more conflicting
situation. In the alpine pastures in India, brown bear causes extensive livestock
depredation, and the migratory shepherds (‘Gaddies’ and ‘Bakharwals’) often
eliminate them in retaliation to reduce livestock depredation (Sathyakumar, 1999a and
Chauhan, 2003). Increased incidences of livestock depredation and attack on humans
by black bears have also been reported (Sathyakumar, 1999b). In Zanskar, there were
reports of a Himalayan brown bear attack on two villagers and a case of retaliatory
killing of brown bear by villagers when livestock depredations were high
(Sathyakumar 2002). In Great Himalayan National park, brown bear and black bear
were found responsible for few human casualties and high livestock killings; there
were 3 human casualties by black bear and 355 livestock killing by these two bears
during 1989-1998 (Chauhan, 2003). In Garhwal and Kumaon districts of Uttaranchal,
black bear caused 154 human casualties during period of 1991-2001 (Chauhan, 2004).
Bears have been reported to cause extensive damage to agricultural damage (Ambrose
and Sanders, 1978., Azuma and Torii, 1980., Calvert, 1992., Chauhan, 2003., Elowe,
1984., Fredriksson, 2005., Garshelis et al. 1999., Horstman and Gunson, 1982.,
Hygnstrom and Craven, 1985., Jonker et al., 1998., Knight and Judd, 1983., Maher,
1983., Mattson and Merrill, 2002., Peyton, 1980., Swenson et al. 1994., Vaughan et
al., 1989., Servheen, 1990., Conover and Decker, 1991., Reid et al., 1991., Stowell
and Willing, 1992, and Will, 1980).
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