After success with elephants, Himachal forest dept uses solar device to repel bears amid rising attacks in Rampur

“ANIDERS is installed in areas prone to human-wildlife conflicts, particularly where crops are frequently raided by wild animals. When an animal comes within its radar, the device flashes lights and sounds a sharp alarm, scaring the animal away. In Himachal Pradesh, it has successfully prevented human-elephant conflicts in the Paonta Sahib area, which borders Kalesar National Park in Haryana and Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand, areas from which wild elephants often venture into Paonta Sahib.”

“Rampur forest division is the second location in the state where this device has been installed. We have deployed two devices, and if they prove as effective as in Paonta Sahib, more will be installed,” added Singh.

Singh said that after every conflict, the forest teams visit the victims and the locations where domestic livestock was attacked. “Our field investigations revealed that all the cow sheds where attacks occurred had weak wooden doors fastened with either a rope, a single chain, or just a wooden stick wedged in place. Additionally, conflicts increase before the winter season, as bears prepare for hibernation by storing fat, leading to an uptick in attacks on livestock,” he said.

Mahinder Singh, pradhan of Shahdhar gram panchayat, said, “We have started urging villagers to strengthen the doors of their cow sheds to prevent attacks on their livestock. Cow sheds are typically constructed either in fields or beneath houses in hilly areas. We are also appealing to the government to provide financial assistance for building new cow sheds and installing fences for those that were attacked recently.”

Talking to The Indian Express, Khepi Ram, 65, a resident of the Bathara village and one of the three victims of a bear attack, recounted his ordeal: “A bear broke into my cowshed, which was below my house, by breaking the wooden door. It attacked me with its claws on my head and chest on the night of October 23. I was rushed to a local hospital, profusely bleeding. It will take me three weeks to recover fully. Two other victims, Lachi Ram and Jina Devi, were attacked while working in their orchard. Jina Devi sustained injuries requiring 12 stitches on her stomach. These two attacks were reported in Rangori village near Rampur.”

Sub-adult bear cub captured, released into the wild later

Investigations by the wildlife wing revealed that a sow (female bear) nursing her two sub-adult cubs was prowling in five villages under one of the Shahdhar gram panchayats. A cage was installed in the Shahdhar village to capture the bear. However, on November 18, one of her sub-adult cubs was caught instead. Following due procedure, the captured cub was released into the wild, and efforts are ongoing to determine whether it has reunited with its mother.

A wildlife officer in Shimla said, “None of the human-wildlife conflicts were direct attacks by the bear. In all three cases, humans either came too close to the animal or obstructed its escape path, forcing it to confront them.”

A forest department source said, “The decision to release the captured subadult was taken because the cub was found fit to survive in the wild. Besides this, reports emerged that the sow (female bear) was sighted in the area in search of her cub. Between the capturing and releasing of the cub, we did our best not to leave any human footprints on the cub in captivity.”