Chapter-1: introduction 1 Background
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4.2.2 Agricultural Crop Production and LossIn the examination of the total loss to total production of major agricultural crop in 2006 & 2007, minor discrepancy in the individual crop production and loss percentage to total production was obtained. Total production is the collective production of individual agricultural crop; where as total loss is the cumulative loss of these crops to total production of crops that are considered in interpretation. In total production (1,75,410 Kg) of major agricultural crop for 2006 comprised of maize with 51.76%, millet with 5.10% and potato with 43.15%, and total loss of 21.29% to total production was accrue of maize (15.77%), millet (0.21%) and potato (5.31%). In 2007, total production (186637.2 Kg) of major crop was contributed by maize (47.35%), millet (46.88%) and potato (5.76%) and total loss of 22.45% to total production was accounted by maize (17.65%), millet (4.37%) and potato (0.43%). In both years, total productions of maize occupied major portion for total loss in 2006 and 2007. 
Figure 4: agricultural production and loss in DHR (2006-2007). 4.2.3 Agricultural crop loss by other wildlife in DHRHuman and wildlife conflict has always been exaggerated by the agricultural crop loss and rarely by human mauling. In DHR, Asiatic black bear was not only the problematic animal but also monkey, porcupine and wild boar. In the relation of the agricultural crop raised by the people such as maize, millet, paddy, potato, wheat, barley (Himalayan) and buckwheat; black bears were accounted for high agricultural crop loss percentage to total production in 2006 and 2007 (figure-4). Out of total loss (21.29%) of crop in 2006, we calculated the crop loss percentage to Asiatic black bear was 6.53% followed by wild boar (6.47%), macaque (monkey) (4.93%) and porcupine (3.36%). In 2007, out of total loss (22.45%) the black bear was responsible for 8.33% to crop loss while the macaque (monkey) (5.50%), wild boar (4.82%) and porcupine (3.80%). Apart from the Asiatic black bear, the loss was due to wild boar and macaque was appropriate to illustrate the existence of conflict in DHR. 
Figure 5: Agricultural crop loss by other wildlife in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve 4.3 Crop Raiding Behavior and Preference4.3.1 Agricultural crop raiding time (N=168)Black bear is a nocturnal animal and its crop raiding activities were also confined to night time period. We classified the time hour into four different periods as early night (6PM-9PM), mid-night (9PM-3AM), early morning (3AM-6AM), and day (6AM-6PM) to examine its active time period in agricultural crop raiding. During survey, most of the respondents (47.62%) indicated that the black bear were most active at mid- night (9PM-3AM) to the crop raiding than early night (6PM-9PM). 
Figure 6: Agricultural crop raiding by black bear with respect to time period 4.3.2 Agricultural crop preference by Black bearThe respondents (N=188) reported that black bear prefers 4 different agricultural crop species. Among crops, maize (85.1%) was the relatively highest preference in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve. Millet (9.57%) is the second major preferred agricultural crop in DHR. But it was also reported that black bear preferred potato. People of Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve were not practiced more agricultural crops due to high altitudinal ranges. 
Figure 7: Relative agricultural crop preference of black bear based on Respondents (N=188) 4.3.3 Feeding habits and parts of agricultural crops eatenBased on the nature of damage and indirect signs during agricultural crop raiding, people explained the eating habits of black bear. They placed five types of eating habits for black bear. They are allocating in one area4, looping5, sweeping, tearing and digging. With reference to individual crop with different explained feeding habits, one of the habits was predominantly reported. For maize, 41.8% of respondent reported it tears the plant and then eats. For, millet, 62.5% respondent reported that it makes sweeping to grab the corn and then eat. Similarly for barley 67.74% reported to sweeping. It was reported that potato was eaten by digging (88.09%) and sometime black bear uprooted and allowing at one places then eaten. Even if different eating habits were placed, one of the habits was predominantly responded to individual crop. Habit of sweeping was commonly (37.21%) addressed. People reported that the black bear consumes grains of maize, millet, barley and buckwheat while as rhizome of potato. 
Figure 8: Feeding habits of agricultural crops4.3.4 Wild Food PreferenceThe respondents (N=142) reported that the Asiatic black bear used 8 wild plant species as food (Table-7). The local people reported the plants name mostly in local language and it was collected as plants samples and identified them through expert. Table 7: Wild food preference by black bear in DHR
Dummer” is local name and it is a kind of fruit that favored by the black bear. The respondents reported that the black bear preferred wild food as following respect Quercus species (30.28%), Himalayacalamus species (24.65%), Berberis species (16.20%), Prunus pashia (11.27%), Rubus species (5.63%), Myrica esculenta (5.63%), “Dummer (4.23%) and Cedrus deodara (2.11%). 4.4 Habitat types Based on the respondents (N=165) knowledge of black bear habitat use and description of bear encounter locations, we attempted to describe the species association of its habitat. The respondent reported that Asiatic black bear mostly uses mixed forest type rather than hardwood forest and conifer forest. The respondent (N=165) reported that the Asiatic black bear uses Mixed forest (59%), Hardwood forest (22%) and Coniferous forest (19%) on the basis of their knowledge and sighting reference. Asiatic black bear moved seasonally and locally where the crops grown. Asiatic black bear is an inhabitant of deciduous, mixed woodland and moist temperate forest up to the permanent tree line in the Himalayas rarely found at the elevation above 4000m (Grizimek 1990). In Nepal it is confined in conifer and rhododendron forest and ascends upto 12,000ft in summer and descends to 5,000 ft in winter (Shrestha 1997). They mostly occurred in the deciduous forest consisting of Morus species, Quercus species, Salix species, Juglans regia as well as Celtis australis, Rhus continus, Populas species (Grizimek 1990). Servheen et al. 1999 and Schaller 1969 reported that Ursus thibetanus utilize more of mixed forest in China, India, Taiwan, Japan and Russia. Similarly American black bear also use mixed forest extensively (Beringer et al. 1994). The extensive use of mixed forest can be attributed to the presences of variety of forage plants including many succulent fruit species in this forest. |