• Dambulla villagers narrate tales of fear after multiple incidents of bear maulings leave farmers & villagers alike in mortal terror 
• Wildlife Conservation Officers flummoxed in tracking the rare beast cite manpower & safety equipment shortages, & absence of adequate transport  

A paddy farmer from Udawalayagama in the Dambulla Divisional Secretariat (DS), Kumara Ratnayake experienced a harrowing encounter on the morning of 2 August. At around 5:50 a.m., while descending from a makeshift platform he had constructed atop a tree in his paddy field to enjoy his morning betel chew, he was attacked by a bear — a creature not reportedly seen in the area for over 50 years. The bear's attack left him with severe injuries to his hands. He is now receiving treatment at the District General Hospital in Polonnaruwa.

Tragically, he was not the only victim that day. Another individual, M. Ranasinghe, also fell prey to the bear's ferocity and is currently hospitalised. These unexpected bear attacks have plunged the people in three Villages – Udawalayagama, Ilukwala, and Gedigaswalana – into a state of fear. They are particularly concerned for their children, knowing that such an encounter could be even more dangerous for them. As a result, families, scared of the threat, are keeping their little ones indoors, and limiting travelling at nights and early mornings.

When contacted by The Daily Morning, Ratnayake's brother-in-law, Tissa Jayawardana said that many farmers in their area, including Ratnayake, have had to spend their nights in huts near the paddy fields due to the constant threat of wild elephants. "On the night of 1 August, my brother-in-law (Ratnayake) was spending the night at a hut on a tree in his paddy field like many other farmers in our area do. In the morning, as he came down to rest and chew betel, he was attacked by a bear." Noting that agriculture is the livelihood of many people in their village, he said that significant crop damages are occurring due to wild animals that frequently roam into villages. That is why Ratnayake and many other villagers protect the crops by spending the night at paddy fields. Now, there is another issue: the bear attacks. 

The sufferings that Ratnayake and his family have to face are more serious than the injuries. Now, he is unable to protect his paddy field. If the wild elephants come and destroy the paddy field, he and his family will have no way to survive when he returns home after his wounds heal.

The attacks have instilled great fear in the community. Another resident, Ramani Somalatha, said: "We have to live in fear because of the bear that recently came to the village. The men in the village often spend the night in the fields or in the chenas. Women and children stay in the houses at night. In these villages, there are no attached bathrooms in houses. So, even when we need to go out at night, we are afraid now. We always try to keep the children inside the house because of this bear issue. An attack by a bear can cause more serious harm to children than to an adult." She further highlighted the alleged failure on the part of the Wildlife Conservation Department to locate and capture the bear. "It has been a few days since two people were attacked by the bear, but, the Department has so far failed to find information about its location."

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Gedigaswalana Grama Niladhari (GN), Thusitha Weerasinghe, acknowledged the challenges faced by the residents, and added: "The location of the bear in question has not been discovered so far. The Wildlife Conservation Department is currently working on it,"

According to the Wildlife Conservation Department's Office in the area, the bear likely wandered into the village from a forested area near Habarana, about seven kilometres away from the affected villages. Despite several sightings around the village, the bear is yet to be captured, leaving residents in fear. "I work in a nearby hotel. Several people have seen a bear hanging around the hotel. Usually, if someone in the village mines some sand to build a house, or cuts a tree, the Wildlife Conservation Department acts very quickly, but, they act very slowly when it comes to incidents like this," Jayawardana noted. He also said that an elderly resident in the area had said that he had last seen a bear almost five decades ago, in the 1970s.

When contacted, an official from the Wildlife Conservation Department's Office in the area explained the difficulties involved in tracking and capturing the bear. "Finding the location of a wild animal is not an easy task. The officers of the Wildlife Conservation Department are working amid many challenges. There are many issues such as the shortage of officers, the lack of adequate transport facilities, and the shortage of safety equipment," he said, also alleging that the bear might have been in some kind of accident, which complicates its movement and tracking.

Speaking to The Daily Morning on an earlier occasion, the Wildlife Conservation Department's Director General Chandana Sooriyabandara said that the bear threats reported by residents were unlikely to be a frequent occurrence. "This is not something that is going to happen on a regular basis. I have instructed the relevant officials to look into this issue."

It was earlier reported that the villagers suspect that the bear, which may have been raised at a nearby hotel, is straying into the village, but an experienced Wildlife Conservation Officer, Kumarasiri Wijekoon refuted such claims. "Keeping any type of wild animal in houses or other premises is prohibited. Despite the ban, there have been reports of the domestication of certain types of wild animals. However, it is impossible to keep an animal like a bear inside a home or business premises," he said. He added that Wildlife Conservation Department officials maintain good relations with villagers and those associated with the tourism industry. "If an animal like a bear was being raised in a place such as a hotel, the Wildlife Conservation officials would definitely be made aware of it," he noted.

Commenting on the bear issue, environmentalist Sameera Weeratunga noted the unusual nature of a bear appearing in the area after a long time. "As the villagers say, a bear has come to this area after 50 years. It is a very unusual situation," he said, adding that there is a need for a thorough study. He explained a few general reasons that might cause a bear to venture from its forest habitat into human settlements. "It is also important to ascertain whether this bear is a male or a female animal. If it is a female animal, it is likely that they will come to villages when their cubs are in danger. When a bear, be it a male or a female, is old, it is likely that they will come out of the forests looking for food." He added that June, July, and August are typically the months when bears are most actively searching for food, especially bees’ honey. During this time, if a person encounters a bear, he said, the likelihood of an attack increases significantly.

This insight highlights the complexities of wildlife behaviour and the importance of understanding these patterns to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts.

The long-standing threats from wild elephants and the latest fear of bears are not the only challenges facing the residents of Udawalayagama and the surrounding areas, whose primary livelihood is farming. Jayawardana shared with The Daily Morning the ongoing struggle with a local cattle owner who he claimed rears nearly 400 cows, which continually damage farmlands. "The Government built a road to reach our village using gravel, but, it is now very dilapidated due to the movement of cattle every morning and evening. Additionally, all the lakes and canals in the village have been polluted because of these cows. We cannot even leave the village for an emergency because when we come back, all our cultivations are destroyed. First the elephants, then the cows, and now a bear—how can we face all these challenges?" He added that efforts have been made to inform the relevant authorities, including the Dambulla DS office, but that the issues persist.

Attempts to contact the Dambulla Divisional Secretary proved futile.

The situation faced by the residents highlights the urgent need for a clear plan to manage human-wildlife conflicts in the region, ensuring both conservation and the safety and well-being of local communities. Until such measures are implemented, the people of villages like Udawalayagama will continue to face these dangers, hoping for a solution that can restore their safety and allow them to engage in their livelihoods peacefully.

Quotes 

"The sufferings that Ratnayake & his family have to face are more serious than the injuries caused by the bear attack." - Kumara Ratnayake's brother-in-law, Tissa Jayawardana

"We have to live in fear because of the bear that recently came to the village. An attack by a bear can cause more serious harm to children than to an adult." - Resident Ramani Somalatha:

"As the villagers say, if a bear has come to this area after 50 years. It is a very unusual situation." - Environmentalist Sameera Weeratunga

"First the elephants, then the cows, and now a bear — how can we face all these challenges?" - Local farmer Jayawardana