Berhampur: Incidents of wild animals particularly bears, elephants and boars straying into the fringe villages have become a matter of concern for people. Officially, no steps have been taken to resolve the man-animal conflict.
A woman was critically injured after she was attacked by three bears while she had gone to attend nature’s call at Makarjhol in Ganjam district early Tuesday. The injured woman has identified as Sukanti Behera, 53. Family members rescued her in a critical condition and rushed her to MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur.
Sources said, the incident occurred while Sukanti along with three other women of the village went to a village pond. On their way back home, the women encountered a bear and two calves.
Before the women could run away, the bear pounced on Sukanti. Other women managed to flee and alerted other villagers who reached the spot with lathis and sharp-edged weapons. Hearing the noise of the locals, the bears strayed back into the forest.
On information, Hinjilicut forester Pradip Kumar Panda along with other forest officials reached the village. Villagers, however, attributed the rise in illegal stone quarries and crusher units in Makarjhol, Pochilima, Singhipur and Balarampur villages as the reason for bears and other wild animals straying into villages in search of food and water.
The villagers demanded that the forest officials take action against the illegal quarries and stop the crusher units.
“This isn’t the first incident of bear attack in our area. Every now and then, bears stray into human habitats and attack the villagers. Despite repeated complaints, no steps are being taken in this regard,” a villager said.
Villagers suggested the forest department should arrange multiple water tubs for the animals and fill the tubs with water if need be to prevent animals from disturbing human habitations. The villagers have urged appointment of rescue teams to keep an eye on the movement of stray animals and push them into the forests.
Unbearable troubles
Jeypore: Residents of Kundra block in Koraput district pass sleepless nights for fear of a sloth of 30 bears, that has strayed into the area in search of food. Besides damaging sugarcane and maize, the wild animals have attacked four villagers in the last fortnight.
With forest cover depleting due to deforestation by timber mafia, animals frequently enter the human habitat in winter to feast on crops. But the sudden rise in their number this year has panicked the villagers. In some villages, people fear to venture outside their houses after sunset apprehending attack from bears.
Every year, at least 20 persons face bear attack – some resulting in deaths – under Jeypore forest division. However, the Forest Department is not equipped adequately to handle man-animal conflict here. The man-animal conflict is not limited to human casualties alone. Farmers usually lay live wires in their agricultural lands to protect their crop from animals, resulting in the electrocution of the animals.
In another incident, a man was badly mauled by three bears at Hatiasila under Nilagiri forest range in Balasore district Monday. The incident occurred when Siba Prasad Singh (52) had gone to attend nature’s call. The animals attacked him injuring him critically. Hearing Singh’s screams, locals rushed to the spot and the bears ran towards Mitrapur reserve forest. The villagers admitted Singh to a hospital.
PNN