📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / JyotiPN
Science
Wildlife Institute of India to Conduct Nationwide Census of All Four Bear Species
✍️ Devdiscourse
🗓 21 Oct 2026, 09:37 PM
👁 10
The Wildlife Institute of India announced plans to estimate the population of India’s four bear species in a comprehensive nationwide survey.
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has confirmed that it will undertake a systematic count of all four bear species found across the country. The initiative aims to generate reliable population estimates for the Himalayan black bear, sloth bear, sun bear and the Asiatic brown bear, which are essential for informed conservation strategies.
According to an official statement, the census will involve field surveys, camera traps, and community reporting in forested regions spanning the Himalayas, Western Ghats, and other wildlife habitats. The data collection is expected to start later this year and will be coordinated with state forest departments and wildlife NGOs.
The institute highlighted that accurate bear population figures are crucial for assessing threats such as habitat loss, poaching and human‑wildlife conflict. The findings will feed into national wildlife action plans and may influence future policy decisions regarding protected area management.
WII officials said the results will be published in a detailed report and shared with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, providing a baseline for monitoring trends over the coming decade.
According to an official statement, the census will involve field surveys, camera traps, and community reporting in forested regions spanning the Himalayas, Western Ghats, and other wildlife habitats. The data collection is expected to start later this year and will be coordinated with state forest departments and wildlife NGOs.
The institute highlighted that accurate bear population figures are crucial for assessing threats such as habitat loss, poaching and human‑wildlife conflict. The findings will feed into national wildlife action plans and may influence future policy decisions regarding protected area management.
WII officials said the results will be published in a detailed report and shared with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, providing a baseline for monitoring trends over the coming decade.