Dalhousie: The sighting of a group of wild bears rummaging through garbage at a dump here has triggered concern among locals, especially after a video of the incident went viral on social media.According to the footage, six to eight bears, including cubs, were spotted near a garbage dump on Kathlag Road.The animals were seen scavenging for food, reportedly drawn by the smell of waste. The video, filmed by locals, quickly spread online.Confirming the sighting, Dalhousie divisional forest officer (DFO) Rajnish Mahajan said the bears were primarily driven by the search for food. He added that although the dumping site is walled and covered, garbage temporarily left outside for segregation emits odour that attracts animals.He said the matter had been taken up with the Dalhousie municipal council (MC) for corrective measures.The DFO pointed out that a poor acorn yield this season had aggravated the situation. Oak acorns form a significant part of a bear’s diet, and a weak seeding season has forced them to venture closer to human settlements in search of alternative food sources. The Himalayan black bear is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, granting it the highest level of legal protection against hunting and trade.There have been multiple incidents of bear sightings and attacks on humans in the region. In December 2025, a bear was captured on CCTV breaking into a house in Dalhousie in search of food. Earlier, Pawan Kumar, a resident of Ughral village near Banikhet, was injured in a bear attack. In another incident, a bear was seen on CCTV inside a sweet shop in Jot village, where it was caught eating burfi.
