60-Year-Old Woman Mauled by Bear in Chamoli, Stable in Hospital as Human-Wildlife Conflicts Rise Across Uttarakhand
By Sunil Negi
KARNAPRAYAG | 18 August 2026
A 60-year-old woman, Bhaguli Devi, a resident of Chaursaain village in Karnaprayag block of Chamoli district, was seriously injured after being attacked by a bear on Monday. The incident took place under the Dhanpur Range of the Kedarnath Wildlife Division when Bhaguli Devi was grazing her buffalo near the village.
According to villagers, the bear suddenly attacked her while she was alone. On receiving information, locals rushed to the spot, rescued the woman and brought her to the Sub-District Hospital, Karnaprayag for treatment. Doctors said she is now out of danger and is undergoing treatment. Forest department officials also reached the hospital and assured the victim’s family of all possible help and compensation.
The attack is the latest in a series of escalating human-wildlife conflicts in Uttarakhand. According to data presented by State Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal in the Assembly in March 2026, a total of 1,296 people have been killed and 6,624 injured in human-animal conflicts in the state since its formation in 2000 till January 31, 2026. With fresh casualties this year, the total death toll has now risen to 1,325.
Bear attacks specifically remain a major concern in the Garhwal hills. Between 2000 and November 2025, bears have killed 71 people and injured 2,009 in Uttarakhand. In 2025 alone, bears injured 107 people and killed 8, while in the last five years bears have injured 438 people and claimed 16 lives. This year till June, one person has already died in a bear attack and several others have been injured. Forest officials note that bear encounters peak between October and December, but attacks are now being reported even in summer months due to food scarcity and shrinking habitats.
Leopards continue to be the biggest killers. They caused 15 of the 36 wildlife-related human deaths recorded in the first six months of 2026, and 548 deaths since 2000. Tigers accounted for 11 deaths in the same six-month period. Elephants, crocodiles and snakes also figure in the toll.
In response to the surge, the state government has doubled compensation for families of those killed in wildlife attacks to ₹10 lakh and has announced that the entire cost of treatment for the injured will be borne by the state. The Forest Department has also authorized the shooting of 3 bears identified as habitual attackers and has deployed rescue teams to monitor 8 bears considered potentially dangerous across 117 active conflict cases.
Officials in Chamoli said awareness drives, bio-fencing, and rapid response teams are being strengthened in vulnerable villages like Chaursaain. With monsoon forcing both people and wildlife to move closer to settlements, the administration has urged residents to avoid going alone to forests and fields, especially during early morning and evening hours.
