Khurda: In a rare incident, Forest department officials Thursday rescued five bear cubs from Pitapalli-Gangapada road here.
The rescued bear cubs were taken to Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP), Forest department sources said.
According to sources, some commuters spotted the bear cubs roaming on the road in the afternoon. Soon, many people gathered at the spot and a few of them treated the cubs with fruits.
Some villagers informed this to police following which four Forest department officials reached the spot and rescued the bear cubs. “The bear cubs might have strayed out of Chandaka forests. However, there is no trace of the mother bear. The rescued bear cubs have been shifted to NZP,” said a Forest department official.
The rescued bear cubs have been kept in the quarantine and their condition is being monitored by the veterinarians, said NZP deputy director Bimala Prasanna Acharya.
Many wildlife lovers and environmentalists, meanwhile, claimed that deforestation at Chandaka has put the lives of many wild animals in danger. “The area of Chandaka forests is shrinking day-by-day. Acute food shortage at the forest is forcing the wild animals to stray into human settlements. The state government should take immediate steps to preserve Chandaka forests,” said a wildlife lover.
On the other hand, some locals suspect the incident as a case of wild animal smuggling from Chandaka forests. “Poachers are killing wild animals at Chandaka forests. We suspect that the bear cubs were being smuggled out from Chandaka. The police and the Forest department should look into the smuggling angle to the incident,” said environmentalist Dhaneswar Bidhar.