Assessing Patterns of human – Asiatic black bear interaction in and around Wangchuck Centennial National Park, Bhutan

Bhutan has 2 of the 8 species of bears recorded in the world: Asiatic black bear and Sloth bear. Asiatic black bear is listed in Appendix I of the CITES and categorized as vulnerable in IUCN Red List. Asiatic black bear is increasingly becoming nuisance to people by attacking crops, livestock and even humans, threatening its own existence as a result of retaliation. With the need to understand the interactions between the communities living within the Wangchuck Centennial National Park (WCNP) and the Asiatic black bears, 620 households in and around WCNP were interviewed in 2010. Between 1960 and 2010, Asiatic black bears mauled 40 people in and around WCNP and four district hospitals within which WCNP operates recorded 19 cases of humans mauled by bear from 2013 to 2015. Majority (45% and 43% of respondents) reported the crop and livestock depredation during summer and autumn season respectively and 75% of the respondents reported sighting bear in 2010. About 52% of respondents believed that killing of bears could reduce the conflict, which may be a potential threat to the bear, though stringent conservation rules of the country restricts killing it. Community outreach programs like creating awareness on importance of bear and its habitat conservation may be pursued to help reduce the conflict. Integrated conservation measures such as providing electric fences may be initiated to help garner support for conservation. This may ensure the survival of Asiatic black bear, and also reduce the significant economic losses to inhabitants in and around WCNP.