The black bear attacks have perturbed the forest department, which has attributed the changes in bear behaviour to climate change, reduced food availability, improper waste management, and habitat disturbance. (File Photo)
For nearly a week now, wild black bears have been on an unexpected campus tour across Srinagar city, slipping through university grounds and vanishing before wildlife teams can pin them down.
Officials say the surge in bears straying into human habitats carries a complicated story – part encouraging and part unsettling.
“The positive story is that there is a healthier ecosystem in the surrounding forests and the wildlife population has increased,” Regional Wildlife Warden, Kashmir Tawheed Deva, told The Indian Express. “The negative connotation could be that we have encroached on their habitat.”
On November 27, two black bears were spotted at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Srinagar’s Nageen neighbourhood, captured at night on security cameras.
When wildlife officials rushed to trace and capture them, they were nowhere to be found. Two days later, a bear was spotted outside the Kashmir University campus at neighbouring Hazratbal. Chased by the street dogs, it jumped into the Kashmir University’s girls’ hostel, vanishing before wildlife officials could reach.
On the evening of December 1, the bear was captured moving on the premises of Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) at Srinagar’s Soura. The institute is at least six kilometres from Kashmir University. Wildlife officials arrived on the campus and set up a bear trap, but it again evaded them.
A black bear was again captured – this time on cell phones by locals – while it was swimming in Srinagar’s Nageen lake, close to NIT and the Kashmir University.
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Wildlife Warden Deva said their teams are on the job to capture the animals. “We are not yet sure if it is the same pair of bears moving around at different places or if they are different animals,” Deva said. “But what we know is that they are young cubs and not adult bears.”
The frequent sighting of black bears in the city’s dense habitations has sparked panic in Srinagar, especially in the northern part of the city. Wildlife officials have asked people to take caution and not unnecessarily venture out alone in the evenings or at night.
“There has been no sighting during the day so far,” said an official.
Deva said that the people moving towards forest areas and dumping food packets there is one of the reasons that these animals move towards populated areas.
Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter.
Expertise and Experience
Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development.
Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor.
Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans:
Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance.
Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population.
Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley.
Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More
