Kerala: Adult Sloth Bear Evades Forest Officials, Roams Freely In Wayanad Sparking Panic

A senior forest official mentioned that the Chief Wildlife Warden issued an order on Tuesday to tranquilize the bear.

Subsequently, the animal entered a coffee plantation with dense undergrowth on Tuesday (Image for representation)

An adult sloth bear has been roaming freely in the Wayanad high-range district of Kerala for the past three days causing panic among the public. The bear also entered a home to steal sugar two days ago and has consistently evaded efforts by forest officials to capture it, as per a report on PTI.

According to the forest officials, the bear was last sighted around 3.30 am on Wednesday near Panamaram, close to a forested area. Despite the possibility of the bear returning to the forest, an extensive team, including a Rapid Response Team, veterinarians, and DFOs, are combing the area for the animal.

A senior forest official mentioned that the Chief Wildlife Warden issued an order on Tuesday to tranquilize the bear. However, the official emphasized that tranquilization would only occur if absolutely necessary, not indiscriminately.

North Wayanad Divisional Forest Officer Martin Lowell told The Hindu that the veterinary team fired a tranquilizer shot at the animal in a paddy field around 5 p.m. on Tuesday.  However, he said, it proved ineffective as it did not reach the swiftly moving creature.

Subsequently, the animal entered a coffee plantation with dense undergrowth, they said.

On January 21, the bear entered a residential area and the visual of the bear was captured on various CCTV cameras in the vicinity. Television visuals showed the bear running through a large field as locals attempted to scare it away. In the midst of this, a resident unintentionally encountered the bear and in his panicked escape sustained injuries.

Notably, the bear has not attacked anyone having only broken into a house to pilfer sugar, according to the forest official.

This elusive bear added to a series of incidents involving wild animals, including tigers and elephants, venturing into inhabited areas of the high-range district.