Bear sighting at Srisaila Sikharam sparks concern

KURNOOL: A bear was spotted by devotees at Srisaila Shikharam on the outskirts of the temple town on Sunday. Those who observed the bear roaming around the area took a video and shared it on social media. This caused an instant scare among the devotees.

Locals say several bears have been sighted in the region in recent times. These frequently visit the small temple premises and eat away temple offerings like coconuts and bananas at night. The area is designated as a ‘bear protection zone’, featuring dense forests that house around 5-6 bears that are often encountered by the devotees.

Further, a traditional practice involved devotees visiting Srisaila Sikharam to witness the Gopura Kalasam of the Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy temple, performed from this location. Hence, devotees first visit Sikharam and then proceed to Srisailam.

Srisailam forest range officer V Narasimhulu explained that a dedicated team of five forest staff closely monitors animal movements at Sikharam. If bear sightings increase, the animals will be relocated to deeper forest sections, he said.

The official said a bear that caused disturbances with frequent visits was relocated to the deep forests three months ago. Bears are often captured and transferred to alternative locations, with no reports of bear-human conflicts so far, he stated.