Liu Fang believes that the Sanjiangyuan area is sparsely populated and the quarantine measures for the epidemic previously implemented are not necessarily very strict. It may have a little impact in the Zhiduo County incident, but it is certainly not the main reason.
Similar to Zhiduo County, the human-bear conflict in Sichuan has always occurred. The relationship with the epidemic is not easy to judge. "It is difficult to confirm whether the animal recognizes that humans are in isolation." Liu Fang said that there is a highway in Majiao Town, and the villagers should still travel by car during isolation.
From 2005 to 2007, Liu Fang's team conducted more than 70 records of villagers being injured by black bears in a sample survey conducted in more than 100 counties in Sichuan. Liu Fang said that although only two people were killed, this incomplete set of data has shown the high incidence of conflict between people and bears in Sichuan.
According to media reports, in Yanmen Town, Jiangyou, 20 kilometers northeast of Majiao Town, a herd of sheep was attacked by a black bear in 2018. The victim's skull was fractured, and many injuries were caused.
What is noticeable is that, according to the doctor who treated the shepherd, for the first time in many years, he encountered a person had been bitten by a black bear. According to Liu Fang, when they investigated in Yanmen Town in 2005, they also found no signs of black bear distribution. It can be seen that, consistent with the conclusion of her field investigation, the black bear's range of activities in the Jiangyou area has expanded, and the conflict between people and bears has increased.
Bear-proof spray should be essential for residents in relevant areas
“There are 8 kinds of bears all over the world. Except for the giant pandas, which are relatively docile, they basically have conflicts with humans. The brown bears and Asian black bears in the two recent human-bear conflicts are very common in the world.” Said Liu Fang.
Why are there conflicts between bears and people? Liu Fang explained that bears are omnivorous animals, eating not only plant foods such as grass, berries, nuts, but also animal foods such as marmots, picas, or dead animals. The food source is very rich, and the adaptability is stronger than that of pure carnivores and herbivores. In addition, bears have almost no natural enemies in nature. The scope of the habitat of other large animals is significantly reduced due to human activities. Bears are still very close to where humans live.
According to Liu Fang ’s research on human-bear conflicts in Sichuan, Yunnan ’s Gaoligong Mountains, and the Sanjiangyuan area in Qinghai, Asian black bears are more seriously conflicted with humans in China. The damage caused by brown bears on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau also exceeds that of other areas in the world where brown bears are distributed.
“Bear attack may be a fairy tale for the people in the city, but it is not in the mountains at all.” Liu Fang said that in the areas where bears are infested, bear prevention measures must be strictly implemented, otherwise it is very dangerous, "First of all, when going up the mountain, you must avoid acting alone, and you must go with two or more people; Keep making loud noises as you move, singing, talking, or shaking branches to let wild animals know that someone is passing by. Generally speaking, wild animals are afraid of people, and it is a big misunderstanding that the sound will attract them. In the conflict between humans and bears, bears and people are suddenly encountered. After being shocked, attacking people is the most common situation. It is extremely rare to attack people for no reason. There is also a bear-proof spray, which should be a must for residents in the relevant areas. It is very common in North America, but it is not yet available in China. "
Liu Fang introduced that bear-proof spray usually contains irritating ingredients. When a bear is encountered in the wild, spray the bear's head and eyes, and leave quickly when the bear temporarily loses its vision. It has proved to be very effective in protecting life.
"Once encountering with a bear suddenly, you should keep calm, slowly back away, and then escape after a few meters. Bears have a safe range that they think, when humans enter this range, it will cause the bear to attack."
In many stories, it is said that encountering a bear can "pretend to die", Liu Fang said that it should be useless. "Like the incident of Jiangyou's Majiao Town, the black bear still dragged people far away."
Probably because of proper measures to prevent bears, Liu Fang has never really encountered black bears in a field survey in Sichuan for five years.
In 2005 and 2017, Liu Fang's team divided the entire Sichuan province with a grid of 15 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide, and reached a conclusion through two comparative surveys, the range of the Asian black bear's habitat has expanded on the edge of the mountain forest in Sichuan.
After the incident, the person in charge of Jiangyou City Natural Resources Bureau told the media that for the sake of life safety, ecological migration may be carried out on several villagers near the incident.
Liu Fang said: "For the entire southwestern mountainous area and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the current conflict between humans and bears is intensifying. It is hoped that relevant parties can accelerate research and formulate effective measures to alleviate conflicts. Ecological and environmental protection measures have promoted ecological restoration, to a certain extent expanded the range of bear activities and improved the quality of habitat. If the trend of increasing human-bear conflicts cannot be alleviated, it may undermine the effectiveness of our country ’s ecological protection over the years. In particular, the loss of human life and property may affect people's attitude towards ecological protection. "
In 2005, Liu Fang and her team discovered black bear burrows while investigating the Liangshan Mountain.
In 2005, Liu Fang spoke with Yi people while investigating in Liangshan Mountain.
Liu fang (sixth from left) poses with her team in 2005.
A black bear that attacked people in Jiangyou was shot dead by police recently.
A 2011 calendar with bear-proof tips from WWF and Chinese authorities.
Original Chinese article:
By / Maggie