Black Himalayan bear strays into habitation

Gangtok, Jan 13 (UNI) A black Himalayan bear strayed into habitation in south Sikkim, attacking poultry and cattle.

Senior forest officials said the black Himalayan bear had devoured chicken, cattle and it could pose danger to human lives as well.

The bear had been playing hide and seek with a wildlife team, already stationed in the area for the past few days.

The team had been sparing no pains to ward off the bear or trap and cage it earlier it had managed to trap it, but it managed to escape.

They had also been carrying tranquilisers but this effort had also not paid off as the bear looked too dangerous at close range.

State Forest Secretary-cum-Principal Chief Conservator S T Lachungpa said a team, which had been dispatched to the area, comprised the Conservator of Forest and other senior officials along with forest guards.

'' The bears mostly attack poultry and goats in the evenings. Once it has rummaged a house, drank chaang and has eat cow feed at Dalep village in south Sikkim, '' a forest official from the sub division said.

These 'Chaang eater' Himalayan bears are legendary for their love for the local fermented millet beverage.

Once in the same sub division, a few years ago at the Alley area near Rabong, one bear had so much of it that it went off to sleep inside the house. It made its way into the forest after it woke up from its stupor.

The dry winter and lack of food in the jungle is known to have driven them closer to human habitations. '' It looks big and dangerous and it now knows that it has food around and could be dangerous, '' an official said.

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