Three villagers killed and another injured by bear in Kashmir

Srinagar, July 11 (UNI) Three villagers, including a ten-year-old boy, were killed and another was wounded by bears in south Kashmir district of Ananatnag during the past 24 hours.

Official sources said a bear attacked and critically wounded Ghulam Nabi at Loiseer, Srigufwara when he was on his way to forest area.

The injured was immediately shifted to district hospital where he died.

A ten-year-old boy, Faizan Farooq was also killed by the bear in the same area. His body was recovered from the nearby forest this morning.

Yesterday a bear killed Mohammad Shafi Suhki at Chiter Gar Behak Hindipora in the same district.

One Sajad Ahmed Bhat was attacked and critically wounded by a bear at Sirigufwara this morning. The injured was hospitalised.

As many as 30 people have been killed and more than 120 wounded in attacks by leopards and bears in Jammu and Kashmir during the past two years.

In man-animal conflicts during the past ten years, more than 150 people have lost their lives and about 1,500 wounded in Jammu and Kashmir.

Two leopards were also killed by the people since January this year in the valley.

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

UNI