For the first time since the notification of the Gamgul Siyabehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Chamba in 1974, wildlife authorities have obtained conclusive evidence of the Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus). Photographic and video evidence captured four brown bears, confirming their presence in the sanctuary.
Evidence Confirmed by Officials
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Wildlife, Chamba, Kuldeep Singh Jamwal, confirmed on Thursday the presence of four Himalayan brown bears, including two males, a female, and a cub. While the species had long been presumed to inhabit the sanctuary, definitive proof had never before been obtained.
Sanctuary Details and Bear Behavior
The Gamgul Siyabehi Wildlife Sanctuary spans elevations from 1,800 to 3,900 meters. Jamwal explained that although Himalayan brown bears belong to the order Carnivora, they are essentially omnivorous. Their diet includes plant matter such as berries, roots, herbs, and grasses, as well as insects, larvae, and large mammals when available. They undergo hibernation from late November to March.
The district already hosts notable populations of Himalayan brown bears in the Kugti, Tundah, and Sechu Tuan Nala wildlife sanctuaries.
Human Activity and Coexistence
A road through the sanctuary is regularly used by pilgrims traveling to the Manimahesh shrine, local residents, and nomadic tribes migrating to the adjoining Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir with their livestock. Despite continuous human movement, no incidents of human-wildlife conflict have been reported from the sanctuary in recent years.
Wildlife Diversity in the Sanctuary
Within the 108.4-square-kilometer sanctuary, brown bears thrive in the upper reaches, while black bears are commonly found in lower areas. Both species are flourishing. Other wildlife includes ghoral, musk deer, sambar deer, common leopard, red fox, and several important pheasant species. Last year, the department also recorded the presence of the Western Tragopan (Jujurana), the state bird of Himachal Pradesh.
Yudhvir Rana has been working with The Times of India since 2000, reporting on a wide range of subjects from Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, and Chamba and Kangra districts of Himachal Pradesh.
