Muslim Insurgents Mauled to Death by Bear

Picture of hunter from the 1930s. Himalayan Black Bears average 250-300 lbs.


This Daily Mail article is full of good news on several fronts:

Two armed Muslim insurgents picked the wrong cave to hide out in after they were both killed by a bear.

The men were carrying AK-47 assault rifles as they sought refuge in Indian administered Kashmir, but were taken by surprise by the giant carnivore.

Two other militants were also injured by the Himalayan black bear, but managed to escape and make their way to a village near Srinagar.

The attack is thought to be the first such incident since Muslim separatists launched its campaign against Indian rule in 1989.

Police even found the remains of pudding the men had prepared before the bear attacked the group.

Farooq Ahmed, a police officer, said the militants had made their hideout in the bear's den.

The insurgency in Kashmir has led to an increase in the number of attacks by bears and leopards on humans

The two dead, members of Hizbul Mujahedin, have been identified as Mohammad Amin - known as Qaiser - and district commander Bashir Ahmed, alias Saifullah.

Colonel Brar, Srinagar defence spokesman, said: 'Both bodies were mauled badly by some wild animal, and apparently by a bear, as the area is inhabited by Himalayan black bear.

'The attack seems to have been so violent that both the militants got no chance to fire back at the wild animal.'

A joint team of police and soldiers recovered the two bodies, as well as Kalashnikov assault rifles and some ammunition.

Wildlife experts say the conflict in Kashmir has resulted in an increase in the population of bears and leopards.

Locals were told to hand in weapons to police after the outbreak of insurgent violence which has halted poaching.

As a result, there has been an increase in the number of incidents of man-animal conflict.

There have been several reports of bears and leopards killing or mauling humans in parts of the Kashmir valley in recent years.

As I have noted in the past, economic collapse and guerilla warfare in the countryside is not always bad for wildlife, provided the area is large and the guerillas are not too numerous.

The simple act of "depopulating" the countryside for a few years is often enough to give wildlife a chance to bounce back.

For more on this idea, see The Upside of Disaster and Decline.
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