Black bear kills cattle; enters village in J&K

Sources said that the bear was chased down to the village by nomadic Gujjars after it killed some of their cattle on highland pastures.

Policemen and local villagers waiting for the arrival of wildlife officials with a tranquilizer gun and trap at village Nowgam near Banihal on Monday evening.

The Jammu Kashmir Police and the forest department had a tough time to trap a black bear which entered a house at Nowgam near Jawahar tunnel in Banihal on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway on Monday.

Giving details, sources said that the bear was chased down to the village by nomadic Gujjars and Bakerwals after it killed some of their cattle at the dhoks on highland pastures. To escape the wrath of angry nomads who were equipped with lathis and sharp edged weapons, the animal, on reaching the village, entered a house after finding one of its windows open around 11 am.

Identifying the house owner as Mohammad Yousuf, sources said that no one was present there as the adult members were working in the fields and children had gone to the school at that time. On seeing the bear entering the house, the villagers locked the window from outside and informed local police.

The wildlife officials were also informed about the incident and they along with police reached the spot. However, they could do nothing as they had neither a trap nor tranquilizer gun to catch the wild animal.

Range Officer Batote, Mansoor Ahmed Khan, said that wildlife team with a tranquilizer gun has been rushed from Kishtwar, while another team carrying a trap has left from Batote. Another team has been rushed from neighbouring Anantnag district in Kashmir Valley.

However, by late evening, none of these wildlife teams had reached the village where police and local wildlife staff were waiting outside the house.

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