Meet Aaliya Mir, A Kashmiri Woman Rescuing Snakes, Bears And Other Dangerous Wildlife
In recent years,?Kashmir has seen an increase in?human-animal conflicts, involving?wild animals such as bears, leopards and reptiles.
And that has kept Aaliya Mir, a wildlife conservationist, on her toes for over one-and-a-half decades.
Started working with animals as a student?
Aaliya, the Programme Head and Education Officer at Wildlife SOS, is also Kashmir's first female wildlife rescuer.?
A double postgraduate in Science and Mathematics, Aaliya started associating herself with the NGO as a volunteer when she was still a student.
"It was my husband, who is a veterinarian, who opened this world to me. He has worked closely with Wildlife SOS and also introduced me to this field. Around 2004, I started volunteering with Wildlife SOS for things like campaigns, fundraisers and taking care of stray animals. I joined the NGO as a full-time employee in 2006," Aaliya told?Indiatimes.
It was also around the time when human-animal conflict, mostly involving bears, was rising in the valley, with losses on both sides.
"In 2006 January, a bear that strayed into human habitat was killed. It was an incident that shook me to the core. One of our first works was a survey to find the causes of the increase in human-animal conflict and its mitigation. In 2006, we also launched our full-fledged work to rescue and rehabilitate injured animals," she said.
Kashmir's fist woman snake rescuer
Since then, Aaliya has rescued Asiatic black bears, Himalayan brown bears, birds, leopards and other mammals.
But she is best known for her work with snakes. Over the years, she has rescued snakes from the most unlikely places, such as kitchens, lawns, gardens and toilets of residences, government buildings and offices, school and university premises, and from tyres and engines of vehicles, to name a few.
One particular instance made headlines when the Wildlife SOS team, led by her, rescued a Levantine viper ¨C a highly venomous snake ¨C from the then Chief Minister's residence in an hour-long operation and safely released it back into the wild.?
"This individual was one of the heaviest vipers that we had encountered and weighed around 2 kg," Aaliya said.
Overcoming the fear of snakes
She, however, admitted that it wasn't easy an easy task, especially in the early days, to overcome the fear of snakes and wild animals.
"Once you start working closely with these animals and reptiles and get to know them more, the fear will go away. I have watched bears, leopards, snakes, and birds up close, and they give me a special feeling. I believe that the Almighty has given me a chance to serve these animals," Aaliya said.
Kashmir's?growing snake problem?
According to her, locals lack awareness about snakes as they were not this rampant in the valley until recently.
"Snakes are cold-blooded creatures, and not many species were found in Kashmir until recently. But due to rapid urbanisation and change in climatic conditions, we are seeing more and more snakes, including venomous and non-venomous ones," she said.
Human-leopard conflict in Kashmir
It is not just snakes; the?human-leopard and human-bear conflicts are rising across Kashmir.
2022 was one of the worst years on record regarding?the human-leopard conflict in the valley.
Aaliya once again pointed out the change in the landscape in the valley for the rise in human-leopard conflict.
"The landscape here is changing rapidly, and it is resulting in more cases of human-animal conflicts, which are now not just limited to the fringe areas, but in cities too. Even in the urban areas here, the leopards still can find shelter and they mostly feed on stray dogs, which are found in plenty," she explained.
Creating awareness to reduce human-animal conflict?
As the Education Officer at Wildlife SOS, Aaliya's work also involves creating awareness about human-animal conflicts and mitigation among locals.
"In the initial survey itself, we had found that though they had been living with these animals, the awareness among locals is very low. We have been running extensive species-specific awareness programmes to reduce these conflicts," she said.
Proving doubters wrong and becoming an inspiration?
Over the years, Aaliya, through her work, has gained the confidence of those who were initially skeptical, including some of her colleagues and locals.
Today she also leads the team and manages two bear rescue centres in Dachigam and Pahalgam, which house eight bears, including both Asiatic Black bears and Himalayan Brown bears.?
In May 2021, Wildlife SOS launched a wildlife rescue helpline under her leadership.?
"My work in this field has definitely helped in changing the perspective that this was a male domain. It wasn't easy, but I have been able to take part in all kinds of activities, including rescue, rehabilitation, field surveys, and awareness programmes like any other male colleague. It was challenging and encouraging at the same time," Aaliya, who was recently felicitated with an award in recognition of her efforts on the International Day of Forests by Lt. Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, said.
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