Bear population dwindles due to habitat loss in West Odisha WEDNESDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2011 00:06 SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR HITS: 5 User Rating: / 0

Bear population dwindles due to habitat loss in West Odisha
WEDNESDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2011 00:06 SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR HITS: 5
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The death of three bears on May 8 last in a village in Subarnapur district has once again brought the man-animal conflict to the fore.

According to reports, at least three bears died on the day at Puleshar village of Kenjriapali Gram Panchayat under Birmaharajpur block when they came in contact with a live wire fence in a paddy field.

When the bears arrived at the paddy field, two of them tried to get through but were electrocuted. The rest also touched the live wire but was left seriously injured. It died later, Forest official sources said.

By the time the Forest Department officials reached the spot to probe the incident, villagers were about set the carcasses on fire. Seeing the officials, they fled and the former recovered one carcass only.

Every year around seven to ten people are injured in bear attack and mostly the victims are the poor men.

A majority of incident of bear attack has occurred at Ulunda, Birmaharjpur and Lachhipur areas of Subarnapur district. Besides Subarnapur, incidents of bear attack have also occurred in Sambalpur, Redhakhol, Boudh and other parts of western Odisha.

“In our area sloth bear is usually found which is semi-carnivorous.

The animal eats fruits, sugarcane, honey and white ants and usually resides in bushy and thorny forest near water streams. Usually, the bear moves in sunrise and sunset time and drinks water twice in the morning and evening. It usually moves alone. However, in mating time both male and female move together.

It is usually a shy animal and attacks a person if somebody comes in front of it. Moreover, if a person comes close to its habitat, the bear gets furious and attacks him. If the bear is irritated, then also it attacks,” explains an official of the Forest Department.

The main reasons for increasing number of attacks on human beings are loss of habitat, absence of food items, decline in availability of water and overcrowding. Bear usually lives in bushy, thorny forest, not in deep /dense forest near human habitation. As its habitat is being lost due to a variety of factors, it ventures into human habitation resulting in man-animal conflict.

“In recent times, a change in its behaviour has been noticed. In Redhakhol area, a sloth bear guarding the dead body of person and eating his flesh came to our notice. This is something a new development,” points out Forest Ranger of Sonepur-Birmaharajpur Sushil Kumar Tripathy.

Unlike tiger and elephant census, there is no special survey on the bear population. The skin of a bear has high demand for its medicinal values. Besides, its gall bladder is also highly useful. Moreover, the skin of a bear is also used in Tantric rites.

“We don’t have any reports of poaching of a bear in our area, says a Forest official. A special survey of bear should be taken to ascertain its number and step should be taken to conserve its habitat. Moreover, a corridor should be created wherein bear could stay peacefully and get adequate food and water,” opined an official of the Forest Department.
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