Sloth bears are found in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan but shrinking habitats and rampant poaching have reduced their numbers
© Manpreet RomanaSloth bears are found in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan but shrinking habitats and rampant poaching have reduced their numbers
A pack of sloth bears attacked three persons and seriously injured them in agricultural fields near Kavthala village in Chimur tehsil on Friday. Sources said that Avinash Rajurkar was working in his farm, when he saw two adult bears accompanied by three cubs heading towards him. He immediately climbed up a tree, but a bear injured his leg while trying to pull him down.

The bears also injured two other persons in nearby fields. The bears attacked Sudhakar Rajurkar, who was working around 200 metres away in the same stretch of farm, and injured him. Hearing his cries other farmers from nearby farms rushed to his rescue and shooed away the bears. The pack however went to the fields in adjacent Shedegaon and attacked one more farmer Yogesh Ninawe in his farm.

Later as the news spread, local forester and villagers gathered in the fields and forced the pack of the bears to flee into the forest. The three seriously injured persons were rushed to Nagpur for emergency treatment. RFO, Chimur range, KR Akkewar has paid Rs5,000 each to the injured persons for treatment. Department will bear the cost of treatment, forest officials said.