Nabarangpur: Villagers rescued a bear cub, which a stray dog believed was its puppy and was taking it away, at Kharkiguda in Tentulikhunti block of this district Friday.
Villagers said the cub had strayed into the village after being separated from its mother. It was spotted by a stray dog that assumed it to be its puppy and carried it away. Hearing the shrieks, villagers drove away the dog and rescued the cub.
On being informed, forest ranger PC Nanda, forester MR Patnaik, wildlife expert A Manoj and his team reached the village and took away the cub to Papahandi-based deer park for treatment. The forest officials have been taking care of the cub and efforts are on to trace the mother bear, ranger Nanda said.
In another incident, forest officials recovered the carcass of a bear from a farmland at Boriguda cashew plantation near Tumbhala village under Papadahandi block in Nabarangpur district, Friday.
Some locals noticed the carcass and reported the matter to the forest officials.
A team of forest personnel led by ranger PC Nanda reached the spot and recovered the carcass. The dead bear was then brought to the forest range office where veterinary doctors conducted a post-mortem. Later, the carcass was buried in the forest, officials said.
According to the ranger, the bear was aged about 26 years. While locals said it might have died due to age-related problems, others suspected it to have been killed by poachers.
The reason of its death will be known after receiving the post-mortem report, the ranger said.
PNN