Bear injures three more persons in Kashmir

Srinagar, Sep 23 (UNI) A wild bear injured three more persons in the south Kashmir during the past 24 hours, official sources said.

They said Sonaullah Chopan was critically wounded when a bear attacked him at Sargam forest in south Kashmir district of Anantnag early today. However, villagers in the area rescued him and took him to a hospital.

Yesterday the bear suddenly appeared at village Salia in the same district and attacked and injured two villagers.

They had been hospitalised, the sources said.

The sources said there was still no end to man-animal conflict, which had already claimed more than a dozen lives in the Kashmir valley during the past few months.

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

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

UNI