Baramulla: The Wildlife Protection Department has asked orchardists across north Kashmir to ensure that rotten apples are dumped in a pit instead of leaving it scattered in orchards or in the premises of a storage place.
While issuing an advisory in connection with the frequent spotting of black bears, especially across north Kashmir, the department has asked fruit growers to store wasted apples in pits as the scattered apple fruit smell attracts black bears.
“The black bear has a tremendous sense of smell and it uses its smell power to locate food. As such if rotten apples are scattered anywhere it has the potential to attract black bears. Therefore, apple growers are advised to use pits for dumping the rotten apple,” reads the advisory.
The wildlife warden north division, Muhammad Maqbool, said that since black bears, as well as brown bears, are often spotted across north Kashmir as such advisory is for all three districts of north Kashmir.
“In Baramulla, Bandipora as well as Kupwara districts, the black and brown bear is often spotted during this season. Therefore, the apple growers need to take extra precautions while dealing with the rotten quantity of apple and ensure it is not scattered in orchards and around storage facilities and is instead dumped in pits,” he said.
The man-animal conflict this year resulted in the loss of several lives. In the Uri area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district alone five boys lost their lives in such incidents. Scores of incidents of leopard attacks were reported across north Kashmir.