Characteristics of sloth bear attacks and human casualties in North Bilaspur Forest Division, Chhattisgarh,India H.S. Bargali1'3, Naim Akhtar2'4, and N.P.S. Chauhan2'5 1WorldWide Fund for Nature- India,Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110003, India 2WildlifeInstitute of India,PO Box 18, Chandrabani,Dehradun 248001, India Abstract: Sloth bears (Melursusursinus) are endemic to the Indiansubcontinent and frequentlycome into conflict with humans. In the North BilaspurForest Division, a total of 137 attacks (resultingin 11 deaths)occurred between April 1998 and December2000. Most (54%) incidentstook place during the monsoon season. Attacks occurred(45%) early in the morning (0400-0800 hrs) more frequently than at other times; human activities at the time of attack were most frequentlydefecation (27%); locations of attackswere in kitchen gardens,crop fields, and in adjoiningforests. A single bearwas in- volved in a majority(56%) of incidents,but groups of 2 (20%) and 3 (21%) bears were also involved. Attackswere predominantlyby a single bear (93%) and rarelyby 2 (4%) or 3 bears. In most cases, the attacking bear ran away (55%) or was chased by other people (39%) or livestock. Most victims suffered multiple injuries (52%); single injuries on legs (25%), hand (12%), and head (8%) regions were also recorded. Key words: bear attacks,India, Melursus ursinus, North BilaspurForest Division, sloth bear Ursus16(2):263-267 (2005) The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) is endemic to the and Madhya Pradeshin central India (Servheen 1990). Indian subcontinentand is found in India, Sri Lanka, Sloth bears are locally consideredto be one of the most Nepal, Bhutan,and Bangladesh.In India, sloth bears are dangerous wild animals. Sloth bears reportedly can distributedfrom the southern tip of the Western Ghat attack without apparentprovocation (Gee 1964), and mountains to the foothills of the Himalayas. Habitat may encounter humans when they raid croplands or degradationdue to increasedhuman population (Cowan when people enter forests to collect non-timberforest 1972, Johnsingh 1986, Schoen 1990), diminished food products(NTFP; Garshelis et al. 1999). Sloth bears raid resources (Murthy and Sankar 1995, Rajpurohit and a variety of crops and occasionally scavenge on cattle Chauhan 1996), and increased poaching for its gall carcasses (Laurie and Seidensticker 1977, Rajpurohit bladder(Laurie and Seidensticker1977, Servheen 1990, and Chauhan 1996, Rajpurohitand Krausman2000). Garsheliset al. 1999) have led to declines in sloth bear Human-sloth bear conflicts in Madhya Pradesh (which populations. Because forest areas outside parks and earlierincluded Chhattisgarh as well) have been reported reserves have decreased,remaining populations of sloth from 17 forest divisions and 13 protectedareas. Most of bear are becoming increasingly fragmented (Garshelis the attacks were recorded in managed forests outside et al. 1999). The sloth bearis includedin ScheduleI of the protectedareas (Rajpurohitand Chauhan1996). Indian Wildlife (Protection)Act 1972 (amended 2002) The forests of NBFD are patchy, fragmented, and and in Appendix I of CITES. interspersedwith agriculturalfields andvillages with high The North Bilaspur forest division (NBFD) is in the human and cattle population. In Pendra and Marwahi state of Chhattisgarh.India's largest sloth bear popula- administrativeranges of NBFD, sloth bears are consid- tion (approximately10,000 bears) is reportedto occupy ered nuisances by local people. The inhabitantsare poor the tropicaldry deciduous forests states of Chhattisgarh tribalpeople who sufferconsiderably from economic loss of crops, mauling, and sometimes killing by sloth bears. The objectives of this study were to describe sloth bear [email protected]@yahoo.com 5npsc@wii. attacksand humaninjuries. We define an "attack"as an gov.in encounterthat ends with humaninjury or death. 263 264 SLOTHBEAR ATTACKS * Ba-gali et al. Fig. 1. The 1,396-km2 study area in Pendra and Marwahi administrative ranges (regions) of the forest department in the state of Chhattisgarh in central India, for a 1998-2000 study of sloth bear attacks. Study area included 178 villages and had a human population of The study area includes about 1,396 km2 of Pendra about 180,000 and cattle populationof about 150,000. and Marwahi administrative ranges (regions) of the forest departmentof NBFD in the state of Chhattisgarh Human use in central India (Fig. 1). The study area lies between In bothPendra and Marwahi Ranges most bearden sites 81?45'-82?13' E longitude and 22?40'-2307' N lati- were close to humanhabitation, suggesting to us forced tude. Out of the total study area, patchy forest occu- use of degradedhabitat. Because of extremehot summers pied about 337 km2. Topographically, the region in central India and lack of irrigationfacilities, people includes the Chhattisgarhplains and hilly regions of dependmainly on the southwestmonsoon for agricultural Maikal Range. Most of the forest fragmentsconsist of practices.During non-cropping season, people dependon small hillocks with boulders that offer safe den sites NTFPcollection. Some species of importanceto bearsare to sloth bears. There were more active den sites in also collected by villagers,including flowers and fruitsof MarwahiRange than in Pendra Range (Akhtar 2003), mahuwa, and fruits of bel, char (Buchanania lanzan), where almost all den sites were situated in hillocks of jamun, and tendu (Diospyros melanoxylon). Collection of big boulders. NTFP not only disturbs bears but also limits their We recognized 3 distinct seasons in the study area: availabilityfor bears (Bargaliet al. 2004). summer (Mar-Jun), monsoon (Jul-Oct), and winter (Nov-Feb). Sloth bear diets in this area include jamun (Syzygium cumini), bel (Aegle marmelos), ber (Ziziphus Methods mauritiana), and mahuwa (Madhuca indica) (Bargali Information on human mauling and killing was 2003). During summer, mean temperatures exceed collected during April 1998 to December 2000 from 40?C; during winter mean temperaturesare 9.7?C. The recordsof the forest departmentand throughinterviews. average annual rainfall is 1,381mm. The study area Victims were interviewed directly; in case of death of Ursus 16(2):263-267 (2005) SLOTH BEAR ATTACKS * Bargali et al. 265 Table 1. Incidents of human mauling and killing by 30 sloth bears in Pendra and Marwahi administrative 25 ranges (regions) in the state of Chhattisgarh in central India during Apr 1998-Dec 2000. 20 15; Men Women Children a. 10 Range MauledKilled Mauled Killed Mauled Killed Total Pendra 16 2 13 3 3 0 37 Marwahi 62 2 19 4 13 0 100 o^-^^^^ <$^O'~~~.~ "~'v>^l><ym m ^ ?~ ?lr<^<e v ~"? ^ rw Total 78 4 32 7 16 0 137 the victim, information was collected either by inter- 3. Time of occurrence of human mauling and or witnesses to the incident. Information Fig. viewing family killing by sloth bears in Pendra and Marwahiadmin- on human casualties including sex, activity of victims, istrative ranges (regions) in the state of Chhattisgarh place of casualty, seasonal variation, bear group size, in central India, Apr 1998-Dec 2000 (n = 137). characteristicsof bear attacks, and injuries were col- lected via a questionnaire. in crop fields, in forests, or busy with cattle grazing, farming and NTFP collection. Group size of bears involved in attacks was most Results often 1 (56.2%), althoughgroup sizes of 2 (19.7%) and Of the 178 villages, 122 recorded bear attacks or 3 (21.2%) bears were also recorded.Irrespective of the damage to crops. During the study period, 137 attacks group size involved, includingmother with cubs, attacks were reported,11 of which (8%) were fatal (Table 1). Of were most frequently by a single bear (92.7%). Two these attacks, 100 occurredin MarwahiRange and 37 in bears were involved in 3.6% of the incidents, and in Pendra Range. Victims of mauling were mostly adult 2.2% of the incidents 3 bears were reported to have men (n = 78), followed by adult women (n = 32), and attackedthe victim. Forty incidents involved a mother children (n = 16). There were more deaths among with one or more cubs. women (n = 7) than among men (n = 4). Bears most commonly (36.5%) attackedby running Most (54%, n = 74) incidents were recordedduring on all four legs and knocking the victim down. The the monsoon season (Fig. 2; 2 = 27.7, 2 df, P < 0.01). second most common (28.5%) mode was attackingby More incidentsoccurred during the early morninghours standingon theirhind leg (Table 2). More rarely(1.5%), of 0401-0800 than later in the day (X2= 117.4, 11 df, bearstried to climb a tree to attackthe victim in the tree. P < 0.01; Fig. 3). More incidents occurred when victims were engaged in defecation(27%; X2 = 26.2, 5 df, P < 0.01; Fig. 4) than other activities. Attacks were 30 also recordedwhen people were walking within villages, 25O 60 so 30 S 0 a DF WK CG FA VH NTFP Fig. 4. Activity of victims at the time of attacks by Summer (Mar-Jun) Monsoon (Jul-Oct) Winter (Nov-Feb) sloth bears in Pendra and Marwahi administrative ranges (regions) in the state of Chhattisgarh in central India, Apr 1998-Dec 2000, based on interview Fig. 2. Seasonal variation of sloth bear attacks in of victim, relative, or witness (n = 137). Abbrevia- Pendra and Marwahiadministrative ranges (regions) tions: DF = defecation, WK = walking, CG = cattle in the state of Chhattisgarh in central India, Apr grazing, FA= farming, VH= vicinity of house, NTFP= 1998-Dec 2000 (n= 137). collecting non-timber forests products. Ursus 16(2):263-267 (2005) 266 SLOTHBEAR ATrACKS * Bargali et al. Table 2. Mode of sloth bear attack and human Table 3. Mode of survival of victims of sloth bear posture at the time of attack in Pendra and Marwahi attacks in Pendra and Marwahiadministrative ranges administrative ranges (regions) in the state of (regions) in the state of Chhattisgarh, central India, Chhattisgarh in central India, Apr 1998-Dec 2000. Apr 1998-Dec 2000. Bear Victim Rescued Rescued Rescued Bear Bear 2LSa 4LSb climb fell Unknown by by by Range junnped sitting Range left killed people cattle dog Unknown 0 2 2 5 Pendra 13 15 0 Pendra 24 2 10 0 0 1 1 12 5 19 Marwahi 26 35 2 Marwahi 51 0 43 2 2 2 14 7 24 Total 39 50 2 1 Total 75 2 53 2 2 3 a2LS:Bear stood on hindlegs.