HYDERABAD/KAMAREDDY: In a gruesome example of the man-animal conflict on a day when the world observed International Day for Biological Diversity, a sloth bear was killed by the villagers of Kannapur tanda in Kamareddy district on Friday.
The incident also highlights the absence of veterinary experts in many districts of Telangana. At present, veterinarians from Hyderabad and Warangal zoos are called for tranquilising wild animals across the State. At the Kannapur tanda, the episode lasted for over two hours, but the Forest Department officials were waiting for veterinarians to arrive from Hyderabad to tranquilise the bear.
Kamareddy District Forest Officer J Vasantha said the bear entered the tanda at around 10.45 am. When it walked into the bathroom of a house, the villagers closed its door. However, as the bathroom structure was weak, the bear broke the door and went berserk.
The police and the forest officials could not control the crowd as over hundred people had gathered. In the melee, the bear attacked and injured two persons. Following this, the villagers cornered the bear, pelted stones at it and killed the animal. The Forest Department has registered a case against 25 people and would also lodge a complaint with the police, said the DFO.
Kannapur tanda Sarpanch K Raja Narsu said, “The villagers attacked the bear in self-defence. The forest officials did not bring nets to capture the animal.”A senior forest official told Express, “The government should appoint at least one veterinarian in each of the erstwhile 10 districts trained in tranquilising wild animals.”
Man-animal conflict
The forest officials and police could not control the crowd as over hundred people had gathered. In the melee, the bear injured two persons. Following this, the villagers pelted stones at it and killed the animal