Habeeba Fathima

The Himalayan Brown Bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) is one of the least studied brown bear lineages, surviving in fragmented high-altitude landscapes of the Western Himalaya. In India, increasing human–bear conflict threatens its persistence, particularly in remote agro-pastoral regions dependent on livestock, where evidence-based mitigation remains limited.

This study examines human–Himalayan Brown Bear conflict in the Drass region of Ladakh, a high-altitude, militarised border landscape with extreme climate and seasonal isolation. Using an applied conservation science approach, conflict patterns were documented through household consultations, field verification of depredation sites, and camera trap monitoring, focusing on bear intrusion strategies and infrastructure vulnerabilities.

Results indicate strong behavioural plasticity, with bears repeatedly exploiting livestock corrals, ration stores, and waste sites through excavation beneath shallow foundations, breaching wooden structures, and roof access via adjacent terrain or snow. Behaviour-informed mitigation measures co-designed with local communities reduced conflict severity. Reinforced bear-proof corrals recorded no successful livestock depredation during peak conflict periods despite continued bear presence. Short-term deterrents and community wildlife watch groups improved early warning, reporting, and preventive responses.

Community participation emerged as central to coexistence, increasing mitigation adoption and reducing retaliatory responses. The study demonstrates that low-cost, behaviour-informed, community-led interventions can effectively reduce conflict involving an understudied subspecies, with relevance for large carnivore conservation in high-altitude and transboundary landscapes.