Bear mauls man in Kashmir

Srinagar, May 16 (UNI) A wild bear killed a man in Achabal area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir today, police said.

They said Abdul Gani Wani, 55, was attacked and wounded by the wild bear at Mantipor Chattergul in Achabal area.

Wani was immediately rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries, police added.

About 25 people have been killed and more than 120 wounded in attacks by leopards and bears in Jammu and Kashmir during the past two years. More than 150 people have lost their lives and about 1,500 wounded in Jammu and Kashmir in man-animal conflicts during the past ten years.

The main reasons behind the increasing man-animal conflicts in the state were the shrinking habitats of wild animals, spread of human settlements, deforestation and decrease in herbivores population.

UNI