Man climbs tree to escape bear attack, waits for 5 hours for help

Four people, including two women, were killed and two others were injured in a sloth bear attack in Koriya district of Surguja division in Chhattisgarh, officials said on Monday.

Updated on: Dec 7, 2020, 22:59:08 IST

Hindustan Times, Raipur | By Ritesh Mishra

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Nightmare of Babulal, a resident of Chattisgarh’s Pusla village, began on Sunday evening when he was loading paddy near his field and heard about a sloth bear attack in the jungle. Babulal never thought that it could be the worst day of his life.

Four people, including two women, were killed and two others were injured in a sloth bear attack in Koriya district of Surguja division in Chhattisgarh, officials said on Monday.

Six villagers, including Babulal, were returning from a nearby jungle on Sunday evening when they heard of a bear attack inside the jungle. Babulal and two others rushed to save them.

Narrating the incident, Babulal said, “At around 3.30 pm, some people from the village started shouting about the bear attack. I, along with other two, decided to enter into the jungle to help them. The person who was walking in front of me, Phool Sai, was attacked by the bear when we entered the forest. I saw that he collapsed on the ground and was seriously injured in the attack. Subsequently, I started running back and climbed a tree while the third person escaped by running towards the village.”

After the bear killed Phool Sai, the animal tried to climb the tree which Babulal had climbed but was unsuccessful because the tree was too small for it to climb.

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“I climbed the tree at around 4 pm and the saw that the bear was roaming around the tree waiting for me to come down. I tied myself with an ‘Angaucha’ (a towel) to the trunk of the tree and waited for help. After five hours, at around 9 pm, the rescue team came and then I came down with the help of a JCB machine,” said Babulal.

Inspector-General of Police, Surguja range, Ratanlal Dangi said that a group of six local tribals of Angwahi village were returning home after collecting forest produce from the jungle when a bear attacked them.

“Three of them were killed in the first attack while one, who went for help, was later attacked and killed. We got information and launched a rescue operation inside the jungle. During the rescue operations, four bodies were recovered and the rescue team managed to save a person who climbed a tree. Three others who were injured in the attack were also rescued by the team,” Dangi told HT.

The deceased were identified as Phool Sai, Ijaoria Sai, Rajkumari Sai and Shivachan Sai.

“The bear was roaming around the area and the rescue team managed to shoo it away in the jungle at around 1 am. The injured were admitted to a government hospital,” said the IG.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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