TWO female brown bears, bred in Bear Rehabilitation Sanctuary and Bio-Resource Research Centre in Balkasar area of Chakwal, were released into Khunjerab National Park (KNP) on June 7, 2017, on the directions of Prime Minister’s secretariat.

These brown bears were released in the area by the Minister for Climate Change Naeem Ashraf Raja, Gilgit-Baltistan Wildlife Department and KNP range officer to save the species from extinction.

While releasing these brown bears, the KNP management claimed that it had proper system to monitor the activities of these brown bears. But after a short span of time these animals entered the territory of community-based conservation area Shimshal and damaged houses, fruit trees and orchards.

It has been two years these bears have been damaging the properties in Shimshal valley. In 2018, 20 houses, wheat, dry apricot, apple and flour stocks were damaged. In October 2019 the bears again entered the area damaging 15 houses, food stocks and left the population in fear.

During the last two years these bears have threatened the lives of the people of Shimshal and Gojal valleys, but the KNP management, GB Wildlife Department and the federal institutions have not visited these areas nor have they monitored the movement of the bears.

The people of Shimshal valley demands the authorities concerned to visit Shimshal, survey the damaged areas and compensate for their losses and move the bears to KNP or some other suitable place.

Ali Rehmat
Shimshal Valley, Gilgit

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2019