Srinagar, Sept 15 (IANS): Two siblings were injured in a bear attack in J&K’s Anantnag district on Tuesday, officials said.
The attack occurred in an orchard in the Kralmud area of Dooru in south Kashmir’s Anantnag.
Officials said the injured have been identified as Aabid Nazir, 25, and Sehrish Nazir, 14, the son and daughter, respectively, of Nazir Ahmad Rather, and residents of Kralmud.
Both were evacuated to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Dooru for initial treatment.
Jammu and Kashmir recorded over 17,200 human-wildlife conflict incidents between 2020 and mid-2025, resulting in more than 100 deaths. J&K logged 15,661 conflict cases over a two-year span, causing 32 deaths and 350 injuries.
Government data presented in the J&K Assembly shows 18 deaths and 9,301 cases in 2023–24, followed by 14 deaths and over 6,300 cases in 2024–25.
Jammu district, Kupwara, Doda, Kishtwar, Baramulla, and Anantnag record the highest frequency of distress calls and encounters.
Frequent maulings by black bears and leopards continue to occur in rural and orchard belts, such as recent attacks reported in Anantnag (Dooru and Aishmuqam) and Kupwara (Handwara), often as animals forage near agricultural fields or habitations.
Main reasons for this increasing conflict include habitat loss, as forests shrink while human settlements and orchards expand. Animals, thus, lose their natural prey and enter villages to find food.
Meanwhile, roads and projects break up natural wildlife migration paths.
Encroachment on wildlife corridors, open garbage dumps attracting stray dogs (which in turn draw leopards), and shrinking natural forest buffers drive animals into villages.
Authorities are introducing non-lethal deterrents like pepper spray, noise devices, and mild electric sticks for local safety. The Wildlife Department also operates active control rooms across J&K to deal with the incidents.
