DEHRADUN: Wildlife experts in Uttarakhand are raising serious alarms as Himalayan black bears, who typically enter hibernation by November, remain unusually active this year. The result has been an increase in aggressive human-wildlife conflicts across several mountain districts.
The primary cause appears to be erratic weather patterns allegedly linked to climate change. The delayed onset of winter and significantly reduced snowfall have disrupted the bears’ natural life cycle.
“This year, snowfall in the high-altitude regions has been minimal, and the cold arrived late,” stated Ranjan Mishra, PCCF (Wildlife). “Normally, a thick blanket of snow by early November sends the bears into their dens. The lack of snow and reduced food availability in the forests have kept them abnormally active.”
This lack of sleep is making the bears more aggressive. Reports from areas such as Joshimath and Ghat in Chamoli district detail numerous attacks on livestock, leaving local farmers terrified. Bears are being sighted near fields and habitations, even at night.
Retired Professor Kamar Qureshi from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) suggested that the issue transcends mere security concerns. “This is a clear signal of severe ecological imbalance,” he noted.
Wildlife specialist Ranganath Pandey, former Deputy Director of the Forest Department, confirmed that the bears are descending from higher altitudes in search of sustenance.
“This deviation from natural behaviour causes stress, leading to aggression,” Pandey told TNIE. He stressed the urgent need for detailed research in Uttarakhand to quantify the exact impact of climate change on these apex predators.
Ranganath Pandey, who possesses deep experience due to intensive study of the behaviour of bears, elephants, and other wildlife, told this newspaper, “The scarcity of food and the declining yield of crops have also exacerbated the problem. Cultivation by farmers in the hilly regions is continuously decreasing, which has reduced the natural food source for bears. Fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, which were previously a primary source of diet for them, are now diminishing. Furthermore, heavy rains and landslides have also damaged the natural habitats of bears in several areas.”
This behavioural shift is statistically significant. Official data reveal a troubling trend in human fatalities due to bear attacks over the past few years, underscoring the urgency of the crisis.
According to departmental sources within the Forest Department, the statistics reveal the severity of the human-wildlife conflict.
The figures show that in 2020, ten people lost their lives due to bear attacks. This number rose to 13 fatalities in 2021 before dropping significantly to just one death in 2022. The year 2023 saw no recorded fatalities from bear attacks. However, the danger escalated again in 2024, when three individuals were killed. As of October 2025, four people have already succumbed to bear attacks this year.
Experts warn that if these climatic trends continue, the bears may permanently abandon their traditional life cycle, signalling a dangerous escalation in human-wildlife conflict across the Himalayan foothills.