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Dravid Madhusudanan asked if India has a healthy population of the Himalayan brown bear.
The Himalayan Brown Bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) is a subspecies of the commonly found brown bear present in many parts of Europe, North America, and Asia. Many do not even realise that India is home to brown bears. The more commonly known species of bear in India are the Sloth Bear and the black bear or moon bear.
The Himalayan brown bear in India is found through the Western Himalayan states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand at alleviation of 3000-5000 m. They have also been observed in southern and western Ladakh, in the upper Suru and Zanskar valleys.
Also Read: Himalayan Brown Bear Losing Home in Himachal Pradesh
The best place to find them in India is the Greater Himalayan National Park in Himachal Pradesh although they are very difficult to spot as they spend most of their time above the tree line in alpine scrubs and meadows. In fact, these bears are one of the least arboreal bear species, meaning they spend more time on the ground than on trees.
The Himalayan brown bear is primarily a plant-eater with 90% of its food consisting of fruits, figs, leaves, and grass. It also eats fish, rodents, and insects. It is locally also called ‘spang drenmo’ meaning ‘grass-bear’ or a vegetarian bear.
Other than India, the Himalayan Brown bears are also found in Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan.
The approximate number of Himalayan Brown Bears in India is 500-750. Sandhya Sekhar writes in Mongabay that a questionnaire survey among forest officials in 2006 conducted by Sambandam Sathyakumar from the Wildlife Institute of India put the number at 500 to 750, spread among 23 protected areas and 18 other localities in the northern states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
This study though was from 2006 and since then, there has been little data available on the population or distribution of brown bears in India. This is mostly due to their elusive nature and the rugged landscape where they survive which makes it difficult for researchers.
Also Read: Brown Bears Seen In Kashmir Once Again
According to a more recent study of Himalayan brown bear distribution in Himachal Pradesh – much of the areas mostly outside protected areas with good bear habitat still have not been surveyed although both the bear species (brown and black) in the Indian Himalayan Region are facing threats in the form of habitat loss and retaliatory killings to overcome human-bear conflict.
This 2018-19 study conducted in Lahaul valley of Himachal Pradesh found 161 Himalayan brown bears living there.
The IUCN list Himalayan brown bears as vulnerable, and they are listed under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. Needless to say, more data is needed to understand their habitat, numbers, and behaviour.
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