Srinagar, September 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Two siblings were injured in a bear attack in the Kralmud area of Dooru in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Tuesday, officials said.
The injured have been identified as Aabid Nazir, 25, and Sehrish Nazir, 14, son and daughter of Nazir Ahmad Rather and residents of Kralmud.
The attack took place in an orchard in the area. Both siblings were evacuated to the Sub-District Hospital (SDH), Dooru, where they received initial treatment.
The incident comes amid a continuing rise in human-wildlife encounters across Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in rural and orchard belts.
J&K recorded more than 17,200 human-wildlife conflict incidents between 2020 and mid-2025, resulting in over 100 deaths. Over a two-year period, 15,661 conflict cases were reported, leaving 32 people dead and 350 injured.
Government data presented in the J&K Assembly showed 9,301 conflict cases and 18 deaths in 2023–24. In 2024–25, the region recorded more than 6,300 cases and 14 deaths.
Jammu, Kupwara, Doda, Kishtwar, Baramulla and Anantnag are among the districts reporting the highest frequency of distress calls and human-wildlife encounters.
Black bears and leopards frequently enter agricultural and orchard areas while searching for food. Recent attacks have also been reported in Anantnag’s Dooru and Aishmuqam areas and in Handwara in Kupwara.
Officials and wildlife experts have linked the growing conflict to habitat loss, expansion of human settlements and orchards, and the fragmentation of wildlife corridors by roads and other infrastructure projects.
Encroachment on animal movement corridors, open garbage dumps and the presence of stray dogs, which can attract leopards, are also contributing to the problem.
Authorities have been deploying non-lethal deterrents, including pepper spray, noise-making devices and mild electric sticks, to improve safety in vulnerable areas. The Wildlife Department also operates control rooms across J&K to respond to human-wildlife conflict incidents.
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