In a series of wild animal attacks people of Tehsil Balakot were frightened as a woman lost her life in Mang village and another woman was injured in village Pambara by a wild bear attack.
According to sources, a wild bear attacked a woman identified as Fatima in Mang village, resulting in fatal injuries.
In another incident, the wife of Wali ur Rehman sustained severe facial injuries from a bear attack in the village of Pambara Kaghan. She was subsequently rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her condition to be critical.
The recent surge in climatic changes has prompted wild animals, including bears and leopards, to migrate from the forests of Kaghan and Naran to residential neighbourhoods. This movement has led to an alarming increase in the frequency of wild animal attacks on both humans and their domestic animals throughout Mansehra district.
Persistent bear and leopard attacks on both humans and livestock continue to create panic and fear among the residents of various areas of Balakot.
The chairman of the village council in Pambara reported a tragic incident involving a bear that fatally attacked a woman named Fatima in the vicinity of Mang.
The fears escalated as leopards were observed patrolling Garlat and its surroundings neighbourhoods during daylight hours, causing fear and panic among the local population.
According to sources, the impact of climate change has greatly contributed to the upheaval in wildlife across various regions of Balakot and Kaghan Valley, exacerbating the difficulties faced by residents. The daily incursions of bears and leopards into human settlements wreak havoc as they attack both livestock and people.
These attacks impose substantial losses on the impoverished residents who rely on their livestock to make ends meet. Ghanool General Councillor Muhammad Javed shared a distressing account of a leopard that attacked three horses and multiple cattle during the daytime in Siripaye.
As Siripaye functions as a tourist destination, frequently visited by both locals and tourists, urgent action by wildlife authorities is imperative to address this alarming situation, the sources said.
Meanwhile, the Kaghan Valley has experienced its share of disturbances as well. Over the past few months, a leopard was spotted twice along the Kaghan Highway. Following its capture, the injured leopard was taken to a wildlife peasantry for treatment.
However, due to a lack of resources to prevent wildlife migration into populated areas, the wildlife department has yet to take significant steps to address this issue.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 10th, 2023.
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