BALLARI: Back-to-back occurrences of wild animals venturing out to the human habitats have once again highlighted the growing need for action to mitigate the man-animal conflict in Ballari district. In two separate incidents reported from Ballari district, a male sloth bear was killed in a road accident, while a farmer sustained grievous injuries in a bear attack on Wednesday.
In the first incident, an eight-year-old male sloth bear was killed on the spot after being hit by an unidentified vehicle on the busy Ballari–Hosapete highway on Wednesday.
Forest officials rushed to the scene soon after receiving information and the carcass was buried as per procedure. In a separate incident reported from the Kurugodu taluk, a farmer was seriously injured when he was attacked by a sloth bear while he was on his way to his agricultural field in a village in the district.
The injured farmer was rushed to the district hospital, where he is currently under treatment. His condition is said to be critical but stable, said hospital sources. Forest officials have urged residents living on the fringes of forests to exercise caution, especially during early morning and late evening, when wild animals are more likely to venture out.
They also reiterated the need for motorists to drive carefully through forest stretches to prevent such incidents.