In the Heart of Zanskar, Humans and Himalayan Brown Bears Learn To Share a Fragile Home

The children living in Ladakh’s Zanskar Valley are familiar with bears. Their storybooks aren’t the only place they see them. Every once in a while, they come face-to-face with the Himalayan brown bear in their homes, snacking on a tub of sugar; in their schools, strolling through the corridors, and often, even in the monasteries. 

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Climate change has compounded the problem. Brown bears, once confined to the high altitudes of Zanskar, have started to set their sights on human settlements lower in the region as snow continues to melt at an unprecedented pace. 

Kirti Chavan, conservationist at Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust (SLC-IT), cites the adaptability of bears as a cause for them making inroads into unfamiliar territory. 

“Once they occupy the new territory, bears adapt to those new conditions, surroundings and food sources. A lot of bear populations are becoming dependent on garbage dumps, which is a disturbing trend. Loss of habitat creates such problems.” 

The bears’ rendezvous in the villages causes pandemonium among the locals, as the latter enter their kitchens and ration shops only to discover half-eaten groceries, tubs of barley, and chhurpe (dry cheese). 

While documenting this tale of human-bear conflict, Sheikh Harris and Tsering Yangskit, Fellows at GreenHub Network — an initiative that is engaging and empowering youth in conservation education, action, and climate sustainability — also turned the lens towards attempts of coexistence. 

Their documentary film Shadows of Harmony tells the story of survival, fear, and hope in Zanskar, highlighting the role of the SLC-IT in offering the locals a lifeline through their solutions. In a bid to help the locals find a solution to their woes — “The bears kill our sheep, goats and cows. All we can do is stitch up their wounds; we try to chase the bears away, but they do not budge,” — the team at SLC-IT provide the village people with unique lights, which keep the bears at bay. 

Another solution is bear-proof boxes to ensure the locals' food security.  

Director of Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust, Tsewang Namgail, explains that the metal box has a unique locking mechanism which can easily be opened by a person, but not a bear. 

This preempts any attack on food rations. “In some places, we have attached alarms so when a brown bear pushes on the door, the people of the home will get alerted.”

While these are attempts at helping the locals of Zanskar co-exist with the brown bears, it also draws attention to how climate change is affecting this balance. 

This story is part of a content series by The Better India and GreenHub.

All pictures courtesy GreenHub