Study Finds Himalayan Brown Bears Feeding On Crops In Lahaul Valley, Raising Conflict Concerns

A new scientific study has found that Himalayan brown bears in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul Valley are increasingly shifting their diet towards cultivated crops such as apples, apricots, peas and iceberg lettuce, a behavioural change that researchers warn could significantly heighten the risk of human–wildlife conflict in the high-altitude region.

The findings come from a study titled “Anthropogenic foods drive seasonal dietary shifts of Himalayan brown bear”, published in the journal Mammalian Biology. Conducted by eight researchers from the Zoological Survey of India in Kolkata and the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, the research highlights how bears are adapting to seasonal food shortages by turning to agricultural produce and other human-linked food sources.

The study is based on an analysis of 253 bear scat samples collected between 2018 and 2022, including 154 samples from the post-hibernation period and 99 from the pre-hibernation phase. While natural vegetation continues to form part of the bears’ diet, researchers found a growing dependence on cultivated crops, particularly during the pre-hibernation period when natural forage in the cold desert landscape becomes scarce.

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According to the study, Himalayan brown bears are increasingly consuming high-energy crops such as iceberg lettuce, peas, apricots and apples, while largely avoiding crops like potatoes, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. It also notes that in Lahaul Valley, horticultural crops such as apples and apricots account for nearly 68% of estimated dietary energy intake before hibernation, while vegetables contribute about 66% after hibernation, indicating a strong seasonal reliance on farm produce.

Researchers warn that this shift towards anthropogenic food sources has serious ecological implications. The study describes these cultivated foods as potential “ecological traps,” drawing bears closer to human settlements where the risk of encounters, property damage and retaliatory killings increases. It also suggests that such dietary changes may influence bear behaviour, including movement patterns, hibernation timing and denning duration, potentially altering long-term ecological dynamics.

The report further notes that in other parts of the world, supplemental feeding is a common source of human-linked food for bears, but in Lahaul Valley, crop raiding is the primary pathway, intensifying conflict with local farming communities. It adds that while these crops provide high caloric value, they lack balanced nutrition, which could impact the long-term health and survival of the species. The study also highlights the socio-economic vulnerability of residents in Lahaul Valley, where agriculture includes apples, apricots, peas, carrots, potatoes and other vegetables.

With no designated protected area in the valley, increasing bear movement into farmland has led to rising crop losses and growing tension between wildlife conservation and livelihood protection.To address the issue, researchers have recommended a combination of mitigation measures, including strategic cropping patterns that place bear-preferred crops closer to villages and less attractive crops near forest edges, the formation of community watch groups, and installation of watch towers equipped with deterrent lights and sound systems along known bear routes.

They also suggest electric fencing, improved waste management to reduce attractants, and compensation schemes for crop damage to strengthen community participation in conservation efforts. The study concludes that declining availability of natural forage is likely to push Himalayan brown bears further into human-dominated landscapes unless integrated conservation and conflict-management strategies are implemented effectively.

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