Himalayan Brown Bear sighted in Jammu Division

In a significant development for wildlife research in Jammu & Kashmir, the presence of the Himalayan Brown Bear Ursus arctos isabellinus has been confirmed for the first time in the Bani Wildlife Sanctuary and Sudhmahadev Conservation Reserve. The confirmation was made through recent camera trap survey by researchers from the Institute of Mountain Environment, Bhaderwah, University of Jammu, documenting the species at elevations between 2,700 and 3,800 m.

Known for its elusive nature and limited distribution in India, this endangered subspecies was previously reported only from parts of the Greater and Trans-Himalayan ranges. Its presence in the Lesser Himalayas of Jammu marks a noteworthy range extension and adds valuable data to the mammalian records of the region.