Srinagar: A centuries-old shrine in Butho, a remote village in north Kashmir, attracts devotees from far-off places. Nestled in a dense forest, the village with around 50 households is also known for the cultivation of wild onions which are used in wazwaan cuisine in Kashmir.
For the past few days, however, Butho and its adjoining villages in Bandipora district have come under the spotlight over the deaths of two ‘mature’ Asiatic black bears within a span of 48 hours.
While one of the animals was found dead under mysterious circumstances on July 31 in the forest area near the village, the carcass of the other was spotted the next day in Pannar village, a senior official said.
The wildlife department, which is responsible for the protection of these animals, has been trying to keep the deaths under the radar. It secretly ordered necropsies – post-mortem examination – of the animals to ascertain the cause of death.
In one case, the report accessed by The Wire reveals that the animal – around seven to 11 years old and weighing around 140 kgs – died of haemorrhage and shock. “Based on our findings it could be established that the most probable cause of death could be internal haemorrhage and shock inflicted by wounds caused due to high-velocity equipment like firearm or gunshot,” reads the report by chief animal husbandry officer, Bandipora, Dr Altaf Kangoo, to wildlife warden north Kashmir, Mohammad Sadiq.
Talking to The Wire, Kangoo said the carcass of the other bear had “decayed”. “We are trying to ascertain its cause of death,” he said, contradicting regional wildlife warden Kashmir, Rashid Naqash, who had asserted that the second bear had died a “natural death”.
A senior wildlife official termed the deaths as “most tragic”. “That is the last thing we expect to see. We have registered a case with local police station to find out how this all happened,” he said.
Most worrying for the department, however, are reports that the second bear might have been poisoned. “It can’t be ruled out. If an animal is habitual of venturing into some area repeatedly, it (poisoning) is a possibility. It is happening outside,” said wildlife warden Sadiq.
“We have put our men to scan the entire area to find out if any such (poisonous) substances had been kept along the tracks usually taken by these bears to come down to villages,” he said, adding that the bear whose body had decayed had no bullet injury, hinting towards a case of poisoning.
Butho and its adjoining villages, at least 15 in number, are located in compartment number 100 of Bandipora forest division where the incident took place. The main source of income of the people in these villages is horticulture. Since apple orchards are filled with a variety of the fruit, the bears venture into these villages, often damaging the entire crop.
“This has become a huge problem for people in these villages. They are afraid to move out of their houses,” said a senior official of territorial forest department on the condition of anonymity.
Often the villagers are seen chasing away bears to avoid damage to their crop and prevent attacks on humans. The official, however, also referred to unconfirmed reports about the use of poisonous substances by villagers to kill these bears. “This is a bigger concern which needs to be addressed before any other tragedy happens,” the official added.
Besides, he said the locals were hiring men who had licensed hunting guns to kill wild animals. “This is a known thing in the area,” he said.
The wildlife warden said they have requested the police to probe this angle as well. “Anyone possessing a licensed rifle should be questioned,” he demanded. His chief, Naqash, said the bear whose necropsy report has come, might have been killed by people in another case of animal-human conflict.
These conflicts have shown a sharp increase in Kashmir as areas close to forests are being developed into residential areas, disrupting the natural habitat of wild animals including Asiatic black bears, widely distributed in Kashmir’s forested areas.
During the past decade, at least 90 people have been killed in attacks by wild animals, mostly bears and leopards. on the other hand, these wild animals have also been chased to death on many occasions. In December 2012, a bear who had ventured into a village in Shopian was burnt alive, while in 2010, at least ten bears were killed in Tral in Pulwama district.
Mudasir Ahmad is a Srinagar-based reporter.