Sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) are endemic to the Indian subcontinent and frequently come into conflict with humans. In Balasore Forest Division, a total of 67 attacks (resulting in 2 deaths) occurred between June 2002 and June 2006. Most incidents took place during the monsoon season. Attacks occurred early in the morning than at other times; locations of attacks were in kitchen gardens, crop fields, and in adjoining forests. In most cases, the attacking bear ran away or was chased by other people or livestock. Most victims suffered from multiple injuries. Single injuries on face,...

Among the four species of bear in India, the Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos) is least distributed and occurs in very low densities in the alpine region of the Greater and Trans Himalayan zones in India. It is rare and usually encountered between 2800m to 4800m elevation. Population of brown bear is largely confined to the western and northwestern Himalayan regions in India and distributed mainly in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Sikkim. Schaller (1969) stated that the Himalayan brown bear is largely confined to rolling uplands and high forests of...