Nishith Dharaiya

Evaluating habitat and human-bear conflict in North Gujarat, India, to seek solutions for human-bear coexistence.

We will map bear range in Banaskantha district in 2008 using intensive field surveys that tap indigenous knowledge combined with records of sloth bear sign; we will conduct field surveys to detect sloth bear sign and we will interview local inhabitants that regularly use forests in their locality. Presence/absence information of sloth bears will be used with existing digital land-use data to identify landscape characteristics associated with sloth bear occupancy and identify other areas likely to be occupied by sloth bears in the region. Concurrently, we will locate and interview individuals that have had conflict with sloth bears, identify characteristics of sites with high frequencies of human-sloth bear conflict, and analyse the context of conflicts. Thus, we will collect information on the location, nature, and circumstances of each incident so that ways of enhancing human safety can be identified.

For more information contact adinishi@gmail.com