TIRUNELVELI: Forest personnel captured a sloth bear that had been wandering in Nesavalar Kudiyiruppu near Ambasamudram for the past one week here on Saturday. The animal was later released into dense forest, according to a statement from Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) administration on Sunday.
According to officials, the bear had been sighted multiple times in the residential area, causing panic among locals. Acting on information from residents, a team of forest personnel from the Ambasamudram range set up a cage to safely trap the animal.
Following the capture, forest officials ensured that the animal was transported and released deep inside the protected forest area to prevent it from re-entering human settlements.
Authorities assured that necessary precautions are being taken to monitor wildlife movements and mitigate human-wildlife conflict in the region. The operation was carried out under the supervision of Deputy Director and Wildlife Warden of the Ambasamudram Forest Division of KMTR M Ilayaraja.