Are humans encroaching too much? man versus bear

Authors

  • Aparesh Sanyal Department of General surgery, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, SRHU, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
  • Kinnari A. V. Rawat Department of Plastic surgery, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, SRHU, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
  • Sanjoy Das Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, SRHU, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
  • Sanjay Dvivedi Department of Plastic surgery, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, SRHU, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
  • Manu Rajan Department of Plastic surgery, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, SRHU, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
  • Rihan Zaidi Department of General surgery, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, SRHU, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2349-2902.isj20180803

Keywords:

Bear mauling, Deforestation, Global warming, Grievous

Abstract

Background: Uttarakhand is a hilly state inhabited by various wild animals. Human encroachment into the forest areas has increased the encounters between humans and wild animals. Encounters have been on the rise and bear mauling seems to be one of the leading causes of wild animal attacks with grievous results.

Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS), Swami Ram Nagar, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India from November 2016 to February 2017. After obtaining written informed consent from the patient a data pertaining to history of injury, time of hospital arrival, number of operative procedures, time of hospital stay, complications were recorded.

Results: The injury timing of bear mauling was maximum during 12pm-8pm in 3 cases. Mean length of hospital stay was 19 days. Three cases (42.85%) of wound dehiscence were due to margin necrosis. Amongst the permanent damages suffered, were loss of vision in one eye in 1 case (14.28%), facial disfigurement in the form of contour deformities in 2 cases (28.57%), ectropion and facial nerve palsy in 1 case (14.28%) and parotid fistula in 1 case (14.28%).

Conclusions: Encroachment and deforestation have led to an increase in injuries caused by the Himalayan black bears. Ominous effects seen in the changing climatic pattern largely due to global warming could be a possibility of causing altered living habitat for the bears in this Garhwal region getting more aggressive day by day.

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Published

2018-02-26

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Original Research Articles