Nabarangpur: Bears straying into villages in search of food from nearby forests has become a regular affair in Nabarangpur district.
In another such incident, a bear that had strayed into Junapani village in Kursi panchayat under Umerkote block has taken shelter atop a very tall sal tree as it could not escape to the jungle before daybreak. A huge crowd has gathered at the spot to watch the spectacle.
According to the locals, some people while going to the nearby forest to collect mohua on noticing the bear in the village chased it away. Scared, the animal climbed the tree.
A 25-member team of the Forest department has arrived at the spot to rescue the bear.
“The bear is scared. We have asked the crowd to disperse. We expect the bear to climb down and head towards the forest after the crowd disperses. If the bear doesn’t climb down from the tree by tonight, we will tranquillize it with DFO’s permission and get it down from the tree,” said Purna Chandra Nayak, a Forest department official.
