A series of tragic wild bear attacks in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker and Dhamtari districts has killed four people and injured three others and stoked fear among people, and raised fears for more human-wildlife conflict in the area. The attacks in different places last week shocked local people, and forest officials have issued warnings against people going off alone in the woods.
The most emotional incident occurred near a high school and girls' hostel in Largaon Markatola village in Kanker district. 50-year-old Gorse Juri, a cook for a local ashram, was walking home with her 45-year-old brother Halal Khor Juri and two young children when they encountered a wild mother bear.
The siblings immediately pulled the children away from the bear to protect them, they said. Instead of fleeing themselves, they went to confront the bear and protect the children; their sister Khorin Bai Juri, who worked in a field nearby, rushed to help them. But the enraged animal attacked all three siblings. The bear fatally mauled them, and the children escaped unharmed.
Forest officials later said the mother bear’s aggressive nature might have been connected to the death of her cub. Kanker Divisional Forest Officer Raunak Goyal said the cub died a day ago from a severe liver-related illness. The mother bear was in distress and was extremely agitated over the loss of her young, and when she came across the villagers, she was violent - resulting in the deaths of the three siblings in a violent attack. Wildlife experts say female bears are highly protective and at times unpredictable, especially when they lose their young.
Devbali Ram Dhruv, another villager of Siharinala village, Kanker district, was killed by a wild bear. Details of the encounter are sketchy, but officials say the victim was injured so badly he died. The death has raised the alarm for those living near forests, many of whom depend on forests for their daily incomes.
Another bear attack took place in Singpur village in Dhamtari district. Ramprasad Sahu and another man identified as Ramprasad had entered the forest to collect wild mushrooms when the bear attacked them. The bear caused serious injuries to both men. They escaped and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The forest department officials quickly responded to the situation and immediately provided relief of ₹25,000 to the families of the victims and promised compensation of ₹6 lakh to the families of the deceased within a week, according to government guidelines. They are also more closely monitoring the area and conducting awareness drives with local people to tell them about wildlife safety.
These attacks over the last few months underscore the growing problem of human-wildlife conflicts in a number of areas of India. As human settlements are growing in proximity to forests and people enter forests frequently to farm, herd and collect forest produce, encounters with wild animals have become more frequent. Conservationists say we need more effective preventive measures like community awareness campaigns, better wildlife tracking and better coordination between local people and forest authorities.
Forest officials have also strongly advised villagers not to approach forest areas alone and to remain vigilant, especially in the early morning and evening when wild animals are more active. With investigations continuing and concerned residents in Chhattisgarh closely monitoring bear movements in the area, the local communities are on edge after one of the deadliest series of bear attacks in recent years.
