Overview
- The forest department issued winter conflict guidelines directing hotspot identification, stepped-up patrols and deployment of rescue gear, with sedation restricted to authorised veterinarians.
- Field officers were cleared to attempt cage capture first, then tranquillisation, with elimination permitted within a 15-day window if those efforts fail.
- The chief minister ordered free medical treatment for wildlife-attack injuries and doubled death compensation to ₹10 lakh for bereaved families.
- Remote hill districts continue to report raids and losses, including more than 45 cattle killed in Pauri’s Paithani range where multiple bears have been documented.
- Authorities link the surge to warmer conditions, delayed snowfall and reduced natural food, with severe cases reported such as a Chamoli victim airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh.