700 U. Prajapati et al.
categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (Dharaiya et al., 2016), frequently attacks people. These bears cause hundreds of grievous injuries and fatalities annually (Quigley & Herrero, 2005; Can et al., 2014), yet few studies have ad- dressed this problem.Habitat loss and deterioration, and the natural aggressiveness of the species, are thought to exacer- bate negative interactions with humans (Islam et al., 2013; Yoganand et al., 2013). Human–sloth bear interactions have been studied in several protected areas (including buf- fer zones) across the species’ range, where bears encounter people from traditional communities that live in and near forests and subsist on forest resources (Bargali et al., 2005; Debata et al., 2017; Dhamorikar et al., 2017; Lamichhane et al., 2018; Singh et al., 2018). Sloth bears are largely myrme- cophages (ant and termite eaters) and rarely access an- thropogenic food sources such as crops (Joshi et al., 1997; Bargali et al., 2004; Yoganand et al., 2005). Negative interac- tions with humans have increased where bears live outside protected areas, and where food and cover for bears have de- teriorated because of human activity (Yoganand et al., 2013; Dharaiya et al., 2016). Understanding sloth bear ecology in different conditions can inform responses when negative interactions arise (Bargali & Sharma, 2013;Yoganandetal., 2013; Can et al., 2014;Dharaiyaetal., 2016). Following media reports of sloth bear attacks on people
in the tourism-dominated town of Mount Abu in southern Rajasthan, India, we initiated a study to investigate the situ- ation. It became evident that the situation was unique, with bears entering the town from a surrounding reserve that has the highest known density of sloth bears in the state (Bargali & Sharma, 2013). As there had been no previous studies of sloth bears in Mount Abu, we aimed to obtain baseline in- formation on the attitudes and experiences of residents who interacted with sloth bears. Our objectives were to examine the residents’ attitudes towards sloth bears, to document their knowledge of bear ecology, and to identify the causes of human–sloth bear interactions. We also evaluated inde- pendent data on attacks by bears and analysed reported sightings of bears in relation to land cover and features as- sociated with bear ecology, to identify factors that influence bear presence in Mount Abu and to crosscheck the informa- tion obtained through the questionnaire surveys. Thus, by combining information from several sources we aimed to identify any factors contributing to negative human–bear interactions in Mount Abu, and to use these insights to help de-escalate or resolve the problem.
Study area
We conducted our study during January–May 2019 in Mount Abu town in southern Rajasthan, India (Fig. 1). The town is located atop the world’s oldest fold mountains, the Aravallis, at the highest point in the state (1,722 m altitude),
FIG. 1 Location of Mount Abu town in India (inset), sampled grid cells in town, heat map of sloth bear Melursus ursinus sightings during the 2 years prior to the study (provided by 241 residents), major roads, locations of bear attacks (provided by the Rajasthan Forest Department) and rubbish bins.
and is entirely surrounded by Mount Abu Bear Sanctuary. This protected area has the highest sloth bear density in the state (Bargali & Sharma, 2013). The town covers 45 km2 within subtropical evergreen and subtropical wet hill forests (Champion & Seth, 1968). There are three distinct seasons based on temperature and rainfall: summer (March–June), monsoon (July–October) and winter (November–February). In the most recent census the resident population of the town was 22,943 (Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India, 2011). Its scenic setting amid forested hills and its proximity to several popular Hindu and Jain temples make Mount Abu one of the most visited locations in the state of Rajasthan, with .1.5 million tourists visiting annually (Ferguson & Co., 2019).
Methods
We overlaid a digital boundary ofMount Abutown (Rajasthan Forest Department, 2019) with a grid of 500 × 500 m cells, and visited all accessible grid cells and those with permanent human habitation. In each cell, we selected 11 people to be interviewed. To ensure that we included a variety of people across different ages, genders, occupations and educational levels, we approached potential interviewees at different lo- cations (e.g. hotels, private houses, business establishments, schools and farmlands).
Oryx, 2021, 55(5), 699–707 © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605320000216
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