Characteristics of human - sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) encounters and the resulting human casualties in the Kanha-Pench corridor, Madhya Pradesh, India

PLoS One. 2017 Apr 27;12(4):e0176612. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176612. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) caused the highest number of human deaths between 2001 and 2015 and ranked second compared to other wild animals in causing human casualties in the Kanha-Pench corridor area. We studied the patterns of sloth bear attacks in the region to understand the reasons for conflict. We interviewed 166 victims of sloth bear attacks which occurred between 2004 and 2016 and found that most attacks occurred in forests (81%), with the greatest number of those (42%) occurring during the collection of Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP), 15% during the collection of fuelwood and 13% during grazing of livestock. The remainder took place at forest edges or in agricultural fields (19%), most occurring when person(s) were working in fields (7%), defecating (5%), or engaged in construction work (3%). Most victims were between the ages of 31 to 50 (57%) and most (54%) were members of the Gond tribe. The majority of attacks occurred in summer (40%) followed by monsoon (35%) and winter (25%). Forty-four percent of victims were rescued by people, while 43% of the time bears retreated by themselves. In 60% of attacks, a single bear was involved, whereas 25% involved adult females with dependent cubs and the remainder (15%) of the cases involved a pair of bears. We discuss the compensation program for attack victims as well as other governmental programs which can help reduce conflict. Finally, we recommend short-term mitigation measures for forest-dependent communities.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Bites and Stings*
  • Child
  • Compensation and Redress
  • Conservation of Natural Resources*
  • Endangered Species
  • Female
  • Forests
  • Humans
  • India
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Seasons
  • Ursidae / physiology*

Grants and funding

Financial support was provided by DeFries-Bajpai Foundation. The fund agency had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.