Terrible man-animal conflict: Father and son duo, 3 bears killed in Odisha

Boudh (Odisha): In a terrible man-animal conflict, two persons died and another sustained grievous injury when they were attacked on Saturday by three wild bears in Bhagamunda forest Odisha’s Boudh district, reports said on Sunday. All the three prowling bears were also killed in the conflict.

Reports said Brahma Bhoi (50) along with son Pitambar Bhoi (12) and his neighbour Jogendra Bhoi (36) of Kanthisar-Bhaliapada village had on Saturday morning gone to Bhagamunda forest for collecting firewood.

While collecting firewood, a female bear with its two cubs pounced upon the 12-old Pitambar. When Brahma came to rescue his son, he was also attacked by the marauding bears. Jogendra Bhoi, who was collecting firewood at a distance, rushed to the rescue of the father and son duo. The bears also did not spare him.

Although the bears died on the spot, Brahma and his son died minutes later due to profuse bleeding. Suspecting something amiss in the delay in return of Brahma, his son and Jogendra to their home till the evening, villagers of Kanthisar-Bhaliapada went to the jungle to look for them.

They found the father and son duo dead while Jogendra was writhing in pain. The villagers along with forest officials rushed him to local district headquarters hospital. His condition is stated to be critical. Local Madhapur forest ranger Bharat Bhoi said the two cubs were around 20-day old and their mother was a full-grown adult.

“When the cubs are below one-year-old, their mother does not allow anyone around them and behaves very violent. Suspecting that her cubs could face some danger from the strangers, she might have attacked them,” said Bhoi.

According to forest department officials, the family members of the deceased and the injured would be provided compensation as per the law.