Srinagar’s black bears are on a campus tour, wildlife teams in pursuit | India News

“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.

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.