By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
A bear attacked members of a family in Jyotirmath in Chamoli district early Tuesday, adding to a series of recent wildlife attacks in Uttarakhand in which leopards and elephants have also killed people.
The bear entered a cowshed in Singh Dhar ward around 3 am and attacked a cow. Hearing the animal’s cries, Dhoomna Devi came out to check what was happening, only to be attacked by the bear. Her son Bindesh, 37, rushed to her rescue, followed by other family members. Four people were reported injured in the attack, officials said.
The injured were taken to the government hospital in Joshimath for first aid. Bindesh and his sister Santoshi, 26, were referred to a higher medical centre for further treatment. The incident has heightened concern over the movement of wild animals into residential areas.
The bear attack comes days after a leopard killed a woman in Pauri Garhwal district. Bina Devi, 51, was collecting fodder for her livestock near Bacheli village on October 9 when the animal attacked her. Her companions tried to scare away the leopard but could not save her. The death took the number of leopard-related fatalities in Uttarakhand this year to 18, according to forest department figures cited in media reports.
Earlier, on October 3, a leopard reportedly killed a 10-year-old boy in Pithoragarh district’s Kheti village, underlining the danger faced by people in settlements close to forest areas.
Elephants, too, have claimed lives in recent weeks. On October 8, a wild elephant killed 61-year-old farmer Satpal while he was working on agricultural land near Bahar Pili village in Haridwar district. The attack occurred in the Sajjanpur beat of the Shyampur forest range. Forest officials subsequently deployed guards and advised residents to return from agricultural fields before sunset.
In another fatal incident on September 11, Jamil Ahmed, a resident of Jhabrawala village in Dehradun district’s Doiwala area, died after an elephant attacked him and a companion while they were returning home on a scooter. The incident took place in the Kansro forest range area.
The latest incidents come against the backdrop of a substantial toll from human-wildlife encounters across the state. Forest department figures claimed that dozens of people have been killed or injured in wildlife-related incidents this year. Leopards accounted for 17 deaths, followed by tigers with 12, elephants with nine and bears with four.
The figures predate the latest attacks in Pauri, Haridwar and Joshimath, illustrating the continuing challenge faced by forest authorities.
People living near forests frequently enter adjoining areas to collect fodder, graze livestock or work in fields. Wild animals, meanwhile, are increasingly being reported near agricultural land and residential settlements, bringing people into potentially dangerous encounters.
The succession of attacks involving bears, leopards and elephants raises questions about the effectiveness of preventive measures, early warnings and rapid-response arrangements in vulnerable areas. While forest officials have deployed guards and issued safety advisories after some incidents, the recurring fatalities highlight the need for sustained efforts to protect both people and wildlife.
For Uttarakhand, where villages and towns often lie close to forest habitats, reducing these encounters remains an urgent safety challenge.