22 November,2020 12:30 PM IST | Dehradun | mid-day online correspondent
Photo for representational purpose
In a shocking incident, a 47-year-old woman was killed by a Himalayan black bear on Friday in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. Ashutosh Singh, divisional forest officer (DFO) Badrinath said the woman, identified as Maheshi Devi, along with her husband had gone to a nearby forest for cutting grass for cattle fodder when a bear attacked them.
Also Read: 25-year-old man cuts 11 cakes with sword, fires in air on birthday; arrested
Speaking to Hindustan Times he said, "The husband climbed a tree and saved himself from the bear attack but the wife was mauled by the bear." Singh said that after the required formalities are completed, the kin of the deceased woman would be given compensation.
Singh said the woman died on the spot. "With the onset of winter, bear attacks increase as they come down from snowy higher reaches in search of food. This is one of the main causes of the surge in man-bear conflict here in winter months," the divisional forest officer said.
ALSO READ
Dhami inaugurates four electric vehicle charging stations in Dehradun
Center releases India State of Forest Report 2023; check details
Delhi-Dehradun expressway to be completed within three months: Gadkari
Two arrested for murder of retired ONGC engineer at his home in Dehradun
Woman put under digital arrest in Dehradun, duped of Rs 1.7 crore
Also Read: After couple elopes, woman's family assaults, tonsures man's mother
This is not the first incident of a bear attack in the state over the last one year or so. In the first week of September, a 48-year-old man was killed by a bear in the Pithoragarh district. The victim was a labourer working on a road project on the Munsiyari-Milam road stretch. In May 2020, a fire watcher of the forest department was attacked and severely injured by a bear in the Khatna area of US Nagar while he was out on patrol.
The Himalayan black bears are found in and around Himalayan meadows at an elevation of 10,000 to 12,000 feet. Interestingly, they come down to 5,000-6,000 feet in the winter months in search of food. The Himalayan black bear has been listed as a vulnerable species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
Read the latest crime stories in Mumbai and rest of India
Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.
Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news
