Bear injures 2 persons in south Kashmir

Srinagar, Sep 22: A wild bear injures two more persons in south Kashmir as there was still no end to man-animal conflict, which has already claimed more than a dozen lives in the Kashmir valley during the past few months.

Official sources said a wild bear suddenly appeared at village Salia in Anantnag district of South Kashmir and attacked a 45-year- old Ghulam Hassan Mir and Mohammad Yousuf Sofi when they were working in their paddy field.

However, other farmers present in the area immediately rescued and rushed them to hospital.

This was the second attack by bears in the district during the past three days as on September 19, a woman identified as Rehmati was attacked and injured by bear at Bidhad Larnoo, Kokernag.

The man-animal conflict has increased in the Kashmir valley resulting in the death of more than a dozen persons and injuries to several others during the past few months.

In retaliation, villagers also killed three wild animals in the valley during the same period, evoking massive protest by several organisations across the country after some television channels showed a bear being set on fire by agitated villagers.

However, people in Kashmir rejected the protests saying that scores of villagers, including women and children, were killed or wounded by wild animals.

UNI