The recent seizure of six gall bladders of Himalayan black bear (Ursus Thibetanus) in two separate cases has raised concern about the future of the black bear population in Uttarakhand. The three men apprehended by the authorities in these seizures have disclosed information about poaching of the black bear at an alarming rate especially in the jungles in some parts of Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts. Acting on this, the forest department has started a combing operation in the jungles of these areas. However, observers point out that the men apprehended with the wildlife contraband have not disclosed anything new as far as the poaching of the black bear and other wild animals in the forests is concerned both in the mountainous regions and the plains which is said to be common public knowledge among both local residents and the authorities. Three bear species- the Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan (Asiatic) black bear and the sloth bear are reported from various parts of the State with the sloth bear range known to be mainly in the Terai region while the other two bear species are known to inhabit the mountainous regions more than in the plains though the black bear is reported also from forest divisions in the plains. Activists state that though Uttarakhand has conducive habitat for the three bear species, the poaching of the black bear has continued at an alarming rate with the authorities focusing more on academic efforts, surveys, publication of reports and workshops than on taking concrete measures at the ground level to mitigate both the poaching and the human-bear conflict which is considered to be among the factors encouraging some villagers to poach the bear. During 2012, the Uttarakhand Forest Department was working on a bear conservation plan will was submitted in the 21st International Conference on Bear Research and Management hosted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests at New Delhi in the same year. The bear population estimated to be more than 1,000 in Uttarakhand has been facing threats due to habitat loss, poaching and retaliatory killings by humans involved in the wildlife-human conflict. The bear conservation plan in Uttarakhand was focused on some main issues like habitat improvement, population and management of human-bear conflict. However, just like the plan drafted by the department for protection of the leopard and mitigating human-leopard conflict, the bear conservation plan appears to have remained more of an academic exercise than actual work in the forests and villages where poaching the human-wildlife conflict continue at an alarming rate, said an activist wanting to remain anonymous. An earlier study in the Darma and Johaar valleys of Pithoragarh district had found that the local Shoka tribe had been traditionally using black bear bile purportedly for curing varied ailments. Activists warn that the bear population in Uttarakhand is shrinking especially due to its poaching for its gall bladder, bile and other body parts which are also used in traditional Chinese medicine systems.

Factors known to have exacerbated human-bear conflict including change in the flora, improper garbage disposal and increasing human presence have remained largely unaddressed with little concrete being done on the ground to protect the bear population of the state with the state government focused more on extermination of simians and wild boars declared agricultural pests.