Bear kills two siblings

Umarkot: A wild bear killed a man and his sister and critically injured their sister in a brutal attack at Markatola village in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district, bordering Nabarangpur district, officials said Thursday. The deceased were identified as Halalkhor Juri and his sister, Chamaron Bai. Their sister, Khorin Bai, sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at Kanker Medical College.According to officials, Halalkhor was sitting near his farmland when a female bear attacked him. Hearing his cries for help, Chamaron, a cook at a nearby school, rushed to rescue him. The bear then attacked her as well. Khorin, who was working in a nearby field, also came to their aid but was mauled before a few locals and forest personnel managed to rescue her. The bear remained near the victims’ bodies, preventing police and forest officials from recovering them. After nearly four hours, a wildlife team from Raipur tranquilised the animal, allowing authorities to retrieve the bodies. Forest officials suspect the bear had become highly aggressive after the death of one of its cubs Wednesday. The cub’s carcass had been recovered by the forest department, and officials believe the animal may have attacked in a defensive or distressed state. An investigation is under way.