Bear enters village, rescued by forest department

JAIPUR: Panic gripped

Khurd Goan

area in

Bundi

district on Sunday after a male sloth

bear

strayed from the Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary. It was later rescued by forest department officials and sent to the Kota zoo safely.

The incident happened when the sloth bear was spotted inside a cattle shed. The villagers raised an alarm and the bear made a dash towards the fields. Panic prevailed in the village as residents ran helter-skelter and informed the forest department.

The forest team shot the bear in order to tranquilise him. Even after being hit by the dart, the bear managed to run for about 500 meters. A senior forest official, Vijay Pal Singh told TOI that the bear fell into a water body and got stuck. “It was already tranquillised and fell unconscious. As soon as it began to drown, the forest department saved him,” he said.

The bear was injured and hence needed medical attention. A decision was taken to shift him to the Kota zoo. However, wildlife lovers demanded to release the bear into the wild.