📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / UnpetitproleX
Crime
Bear Attacks Surge in Kashmir, Apple Orchards & Maize Fields Hit
✍️ Kashmir Life
🗓 27 Aug 2026, 11:33 AM
👁 2
Bear attacks have increased in Kashmir, with apple orchards and maize fields becoming frequent targets, authorities warn.
Bear attacks have risen in Kashmir, with apple orchards and maize fields emerging as common hotspots. Local farmers report growing incidents of bears damaging crops and, in some cases, threatening livestock.
The Jammu & Kashmir police have noted a spike in such incidents over the past months, prompting warnings to farmers to secure their fields and take preventive measures. Authorities advise the use of deterrents such as fencing and noise devices to keep bears away from cultivated areas.
Wildlife officials are monitoring the situation closely, aiming to balance crop protection with the conservation of the region’s brown bear population. They are exploring non‑lethal strategies to reduce human‑bear conflicts.
The surge in attacks reflects a broader trend of increasing human‑wildlife encounters in the area, as bears are drawn to the abundant food sources provided by the fertile apple and maize farms.
The Jammu & Kashmir police have noted a spike in such incidents over the past months, prompting warnings to farmers to secure their fields and take preventive measures. Authorities advise the use of deterrents such as fencing and noise devices to keep bears away from cultivated areas.
Wildlife officials are monitoring the situation closely, aiming to balance crop protection with the conservation of the region’s brown bear population. They are exploring non‑lethal strategies to reduce human‑bear conflicts.
The surge in attacks reflects a broader trend of increasing human‑wildlife encounters in the area, as bears are drawn to the abundant food sources provided by the fertile apple and maize farms.