Seven people were injured in bear attacks in the Valparai area this year
Seven people were injured in bear attacks in the Valparai area this year
Private estates surrounded by fragmented forest patches in the Valparai Plateau still remain the focus of negative interactions between humans and sloth bears. According to the forest department, this year alone, seven people, mainly estate workers, were injured in sloth bear attacks in Valparai area.
While four incidents were reported within the limits of Valparai forest range, three attacks were recorded in Manaboli forest range, both under the limits of Anamalai Tiger Reserve. Bear sightings are reported in tea gardens on most days.
Following an attack on a female guest worker in the premises of a tea garden worker’s quarters in Injiparai early on Sunday, residents and workers have urged the forest department to catch the bear roaming the area and release it elsewhere.
Deputy Director of ATR (Pollachi Division) K. Bhargava Teja said that currently sloth bears were active in Valparai area mainly due to breeding season and rains. During the rainy season the soil became moist and it became easier for the bears to find the termites.
According to forest department staff, most of the victims of sloth bear attacks in the Valparai Plateau are guest workers who are not familiar with the terrain and the complex nature of human-wildlife interactions. In June, two estate employees from Jharkhand were injured in a sloth bear attack at Senkuthuparai Estate in separate incidents in a span of five days.
“We are creating awareness among estate workers to avoid direct encounters with sloth bears. Workers and residents have been advised not to venture out alone,” Mr. Teja said.
ATR biologist J. Peter Prem Chakraborty pointed out that the Valparai plateau was rich in terms of availability of the bear’s favorite foods – termites and fruits. They looked for these feeds, the availability of which increased during the northeast and southwest monsoons.
According to the researchers, the highly fragmented habitat in the Valparai Plateau was the main reason for other animals, especially in the case of wild elephants, using the bears’ estates to move between the forests. Not disturbing them during their movements in coexistence with these animals and adopting safety measures were one of the steps that could be taken to avoid negative interactions.
A Manikandan, forest range officer of Manamboli forest range, said that in close encounters, the chances of humans being attacked by bears roaming around with their cubs were high. “The adult bear becomes defensive to protect its cubs,” he said.