Bear mauls woman to death in Mandi

The victim,Chikadi Devi, had gone to the forested area near her house to fetch fodder for cattle when the mishap took place.

A 60-year-old woman was mauled to death by a bear in Shodhgan village of Jhatingri Pachayat in Padhar sub-division of Mandi district on Friday evening.

Bear attacks are common in high and middle hills of Himachal Pradesh during winters as they descend to lower reaches in search of food. (Representational Image/HT File)

The victim,Chikadi Devi, had gone to the forested area near her house to fetch fodder for cattle when the mishap took place. When she failed to return till late night, her family accompanied by villagers set out to search for her. They found her mutilated body around 200-meters from her house.

Forest range officer Shivam Ratan, deputy ranger Shukru Ram and forest guard Meena Kumari reached the spot after being informed of the mishap. Ratan said compensation would be paid as per rules, and a trap would be set to catch the bear. This is the second bear attack in the area this winter. A shepherd from Latran panchayat was also attacked by a bear in the area around 10 days ago, and is undergoing treatment at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda.

Bear attacks are common in high and middle hills of Himachal Pradesh during winters as they descend to lower reaches in search of food.