Escalating Human-Sloth Bear Conflicts in North Gujarat: a tough time to encourage support for bear conservation

摘要

The arid and semi arid regionsof northeastern Gujarat in westernIndia support a rich and uniquebiota including the rare caracal (Feliscaracal), the Asiatic wild ass (Equushemionus khur) and the sloth bear(Melursus ursinus). Sloth bears arepatchily distributed in this regionand tend to inhabit the forests of the low lying hills and adjacent lowlands.Apart from two small sanctuaries,most natural habitat is unprotected.Human settlements in the form ofrural villages occur throughout theregion. Although Gujarat is highlyindustrialized, crop and livestock-farming is the main source of incomefor most rural families in the north-eastern region of the state. A growinghuman and livestock population hastaken its toll on natural habitats. Thecurrent landscape consists of foreststhat are fragmented and degraded(Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecologyand Environment 2007), providingpoor habitat conditions for bears andincreasing the potential for human-bear encounters. In 2007, we began asurvey of sloth bear distribution andbear-human conflicts in Gujarat withfinancial support from The RuffordSmall Grants Foundation, London.Additional funding from IBA in 2008helped us continue the study.