Himalayan Brown Bears are Eating Trash Left Behind by Tourists, Reveals IAS Officer's Twitter Thread

Trash left behind by tourists in the Himalayas has become a danger for the existence of the already ready Himalayan brown bears. Indian Forest Services officer Parveen Kaswan shared a tweet highlighting the plight of the animal which ends up eating trash food left behind by tourists. Kaswan shared a photo of the Himalayan brown bears in a pile of trash, along with a caption citing an alarming study by the Wildlife SOS and Jammu & Kashmir Wildlife Department.

“Do you know what Himalayan Brown Bears are eating these days? Mostly Plastic !! An alarming study by Wildlife SOS & J&K Wildlife Dept revealed that 75 per cent of the bears’ diet is garbage food item. 86 among 408 samples contained plastic bags m, wrappers etc. Alarming !!” the IFS officer tweeted.

He also shared the link of the study and tweeted, “Himalayan Brown Bears are critically endangered species and also in Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The unscientific waste disposal is creating this havoc. The bears getting lured by easy food availability, and this is changing their dietary habits also.”

Parveen Kaswan’s recent tweet has gone viral, garnering a flood of reaction. Several Twitter users were left saddened by the findings of the study and expressed their anguish under Parveen Kaswan’s tweet.

One Twitter user tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to do something for the animal. “It is really sad to see this because of irresponsible tourists. We need an outright ban on all packed food items in the Himalayas. Can the forest department request the @PMOIndia and can Narendra Modi Ji kindly do something? The tweet read.

Users urged tourists to be more responsible and not leave any trash behind them.

The Himalayan brown bear is generally restricted to the alpine meadows in the Himalayan regions of India and Pakistan. In India, the mammal can be found in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The Himalayan brown bear’s population has dwindled in the last few years due to various factors. Inappropriate waste management is one of the main factors for this unfortunate scenario.

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