Srinagar, Oct 18: On the evening of October 12, a seven-year-old boy, Muhammad Razak Bajad, was mauled to death by a leopard in Wupzan village of Bijbehara in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
His father, Iqbal Bajad, a nomad from Reasi district, said the child was playing near their tent when the animal attacked.
“I was offering prayers just outside when I heard my son scream,” Bajad said. “We rushed to save him, but the leopard had already dragged him away.”
The Bajad family, like many nomads, had been guarding apple orchards during the harvest. Wildlife officials later launched a search operation in the area, while terrified residents now avoid venturing out after dusk.
Wildlife attacks have sparked renewed fear across Kashmir, particularly in south Kashmir districts, as a surge in leopard and bear incidents has left two toddlers dead and several others injured during the ongoing harvest season.
“This isn’t an isolated case,” said a senior Wildlife Department official. “We are witnessing a disturbing rise in Human-Wildlife Conflict this season.”
A similar tragedy occurred on September 6, when a five-year-old girl, Tanzeela Jan, also from a nomadic family, was killed by a leopard in Gujjar Basti Midoora village of Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
“The leopard dragged her into a nearby forest. Her body was recovered hours later after extensive searches,” said Ajaz Ahmad, a local.
“Many nomadic families live in makeshift tents that are open on most sides,” said another Wildlife Department official. “A leopard or even a bear can easily enter them.”
Even people living in houses have been targeted, and the adults have not been spared either.
In recent weeks, several people, mainly youth, have been injured in bear attacks in Tral, Dooru, Kokernag, Verinag, and Aishmuqam, while a seven-year-old boy in Shopian suffered head injuries after being attacked near his home.
On October 15, a bear attacked Yasir Mir, son of Abdul Hamid Mir, outside his home in Takia Gulab Bagh, Tral, leaving him critically injured.
“Yasir is battling for life at a Srinagar hospital,” a local villager said.
On September 5, a black bear injured five people in the Dooru area of Anantnag district.
“People were working in the fields when the bear suddenly appeared. There was panic everywhere,” said a villager.
Wildlife officials say areas where orchards border forests are the most vulnerable.
“Leopards often target children playing alone or strike when they feel threatened,” said Sajad Bhat, Wildlife Warden for Anantnag-Kulgam.
Experts attribute the growing number of encounters to changing land use, shrinking buffer zones, and the easy availability of food near human settlements.
“The leopards in conflict with humans actually live and breed within urbanised populations,” said Head of the Department of Wildlife Sciences at SKUAST-Kashmir, Khurshid Ahmad Shah. “They now prey on domestic dogs. The conversion of paddy fields and grazing lands into apple orchards has made food easily available throughout the year.”
He said that black bears have also adapted to living near human habitation.
“Except for those in Dachigam National Park, most bears now survive in semi-urban areas, feeding on livestock and garbage,” Shah said. “A study revealed that Dachigam bears never descend for food, showing how secure habitats influence behaviour.”
Wildlife officials also point to poor waste management and neglected orchard practices as major factors behind the rise in attacks.
“Bear attacks increase during the fruit season,” said Suhail Ahmad Wagay, Wildlife Warden for Shopian-Pulwama. “Fallen fruit must be cleared promptly, and household waste disposed of properly. Otherwise, these areas become feeding grounds for wild animals.”
Wagay said unharvested apples and stray dogs have created “ideal habitats” for leopards and bears near villages.
“If food is available here, why would they go back to the forests?” he said.
Suhail Intesar, Wildlife Warden for North Kashmir, said bear sightings are increasingly being reported from populated areas.
“We get frequent distress calls, especially from Kupwara,” he said. “Our quick response has prevented further casualties, but vigilance remains crucial.”
Authorities have issued advisories urging residents to avoid leaving children unattended during early morning and evening hours and to move in groups in areas where wild animals have been sighted.
“People are terrified,” said Ahmad, a resident of Tral. “Children no longer step out in the evenings.”
Local legislator Syed Bashir Ahmad Shah (Veeri) called for stronger coordination between departments.
“The Wildlife and Forest officials should create fenced buffer zones near forest edges to prevent incursions,” he said.
Officials warn that unless waste disposal, stray dog control, and orchard management improve, Human-Wildlife Conflict is likely to persist, posing continuing danger to both people and animals.
