BHOPAL: A female sloth bear that mauled two men to death and critically injured another was mysteriously found dead two days later in the forests of eastern Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli district.
With the cause of the bear’s sudden death still unclear, the state forest department is relying on forensic analysis of the animal’s body samples, including blood tests, to determine what led to its demise.
“Confrontation marks on the bear’s body indicate it is the same animal involved in the attack on three villagers on the evening of 17 September, which resulted in two fatalities. However, only forensic analysis can conclusively establish the cause of death,” said Akhil Bansal, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Singrauli.
Speculation has emerged in the area, with unconfirmed reports suggesting the bear may have consumed human flesh, possibly contributing to its death. However, forest officials have dismissed these claims in the absence of scientific evidence.
“The bear’s carcass was discovered just two days after the attack, not far from the location of the incident. But there is no evidence to support claims it consumed human remains. Only forensic testing can confirm or deny this,” Bansal added.
The attack occurred on the evening of 17 September, when 45-year-old guest teacher Ganesh Bais was grazing goats in the Khanua-Jamgadi forests and was fatally attacked by the bear. Another villager, Heera Agariya (45), was also killed after attempting to rescue Bais. A third man, Shivkumar Patel, who accompanied Agariya, sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving treatment in Baidhan town.
The forest department has committed to covering the medical expenses of the injured villager, while compensation of Rs 8 lakh each will be provided to the families of the deceased after post-mortem reports are received.
Although officials in Singrauli have refrained from speculating about the bear’s cause of death, sources within the forest department elsewhere in the state suggest that rabies infection cannot be ruled out.
Sloth bear activity is not uncommon in the Vindhya region and eastern Madhya Pradesh. Their presence is frequently reported in Sidhi and Singrauli districts, bordering eastern Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, with regular sightings particularly in the Sarai and Mada forest areas of Singrauli.