Bear killed by villager in central Kashmir

Srinagar, Sep 26: The man-animal conflict took a new turn today when villagers killed a wild bear in the central Kashmir district of Badgam.

This was the fourth such incident when people killed wild animals in the Kashmir valley since January this year.

About a dozen persons were also killed and many injured by the wild animals during the same period in the state.

A police spokesman said the bear created havoc in village Sutharan in Badgam district early this morning.

He said people remained indoors and those who were on the streets, ran for safety.

However, later villagers for defending themselves killed the bear before it could attack them, police spokesman added.

They had killed three wild animals in the valley earlier, evoking massive protest by several animal-loving organisations across the country after some television channel show a bear being set on fire by agitated villagers.

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

The man-animal conflict rocked the Legislative Assembly during the last session when members cutting across the party lines expressed concern over the daily attacks by bear and leopards in the state.

The State Wildlife Department had forwarded a proposal to centre for finance to tackle the man-animal conflict. However, so far nothing was heard from the centre, official sources said.

UNI