Assessment of Changes Over a Decade in the Paterns of Livestock Depredaton by the Himalayan Brown Bear in Ladakh, India

Abstract

Conficts between large carnivores and shepherds consttute a major socio-ecological concern across the Himalaya and afects community attudes and tolerance toward carnivores. We assessed the extent and intensity of Human-Brown Bear interactons in the same villages of Zanskar and Suru Valleys, Ladakh, in the Indian Trans-Himalaya during two tme periods (2001–2003 and 2009–2012) through feld and questonnaire surveys. During 2001–2003, 180 families of 32 villages in Zanskar, and 232 families of 49 villages in Suru were interviewed, and during 2009–2012, 145 families of 23 villages in Zanskar and 115 families of 33 villages in Suru were interviewed. Overall, 475 (119/year) and 454 (151/year) heads of livestock were reportedly killed by Brown Bears. The surveys of 2009–2012 revealed that livestock predaton in ‘doksas’ (summer grazing camps) was higher (68 %) compared to the surveys carried out during 2001–2003 (42 %). The increased livestock depredaton in doksas might be due to the extended stay and use of pastures by the local communites during spring and autumn. Damage to property in the form of breaking open of doors and windows by Brown Bear were reported during both the surveys. Economic losses and declining tolerance of people may trigger retaliatory killings of Brown Bear in Ladakh. We recommend compensaton for livestock loss and improved husbandry practces in the confict zones for bear-human coexistence.