NUAPADA: Nuapada Forest officials recovered the carcass of a bear aged around 10 years old from Samarsingh village under Lakhna police limits in Komna block. The animal was killed by a mob of villagers after it mauled three persons to death besides injured many on Friday.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Territorial, Khariar, Sushil Kumar Tripathi said, “The carcass of the bear was found in the forest by our staff late on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. The post-mortem of the bear was conducted on Saturday afternoon, following which it was disposed off near the forest.”
“It is unfortunate such an incident took place. However, the deceased will be given a compensation of ` 4 lakh each once their post-mortem reports are received,” Tripathi said. But, no action has been taken against the villagers and the death of the animal has been registered as a UD case, he added.
The incident occurred on the evening of Friday in Luhakena, around 2 km from Samarsingh village. The three persons mauled to death by the bear were identified as Ratan Majhi (60), Nakul Majhi (60) and Rabi Rana (35). The bear also injured two others Kuna Majhi (25) and Parmeshwar Majhi (62).
According to reports, on Friday afternoon, the deceased Ratan Majhi had been to the forest to collect firewood when he came across the bear which was wandering there. While the bear first mauled him to death, in the evening, a few villagers including Nakul Majhi, Rabi Rana and Parmeshwar Majhi went to look for him and found that the bear was walking around Ratan’s dead body.
As they went closer and tried to shoo away the animal, the bear turned violent and attacked Parmeshwar. Though he sustained injuries, he climbed up to a nearby tree. Hearing screams, a group of villagers reached the forest and the bear turned more violent witnessing the mob. When it tried to attack, villagers retaliated and killed it.