PolicyEnvironment
Wildlife Institute of India to count all four of the country's bear species
The Dehradun institute will start with sloth bears and their clashes with people in protected areas; full population figures are about five years away.
Key points
- The Wildlife Institute of India will estimate numbers of all four bear species found in India.
- Work begins with human-sloth bear conflict in protected areas across the country.
- Final population figures are expected only after about five years.
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is to estimate the populations of all four bear species found in the country, beginning with the sloth bear and its frequent run-ins with people in and around protected areas.
The Dehradun-based institute, which works under the Union environment ministry, will cover the Himalayan brown bear, the Asiatic black bear, the sloth bear and the sun bear, an official said on Wednesday. The first study will look at conflict between people and sloth bears in protected areas across India, with proposals for the other three species to follow.
The count will take time. Final population figures are expected only after about five years, the official said.
The choice of starting point reflects where the pressure is greatest. Conflict between people and sloth bears is particularly high across most of India, while encounters with sun bears are rare.
A scientific estimate would give forest managers a baseline for conservation and for preventing conflict where people and bears are most likely to meet.