Forest dept puts in curbs after bear attacks man in Karnataka

A 54-year-old farmer was attacked by a bear and its two cubs inside the Khanapur forest zone in Belagavi district, forest officials familiar with the matter said on Friday.
The incident took place when the farmer, identified as Vithal Dulaji Gavade, had taken his cattle to graze inside the forest.
According to officials, the farmer was found unconscious about two kilometres inside the jungle from his hamlet. He was severely injured and was later shifted to a private hospital in Belagavi after receiving initial treatment at a local centre.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, and as per routine, Vithal took his cattle to graze inside the forest in the morning. However, in the evening, only the cattle returned and the villagers started a search for the 54-year-old farmer. “They discovered him lying unconscious in a pool of blood and rushed him to a Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Jamboti and later to Vijaya Hospital in Belagavi, where it was confirmed that he was attacked by a wild bear,” said Khanapur Range forest officer (RFO) Shivakumar.
Vithal regained consciousness at the PHC and reported the bear attack to the police. After receiving first aid and necessary treatment, he was taken to Belagavi hospital for further healthcare. DCF Kallolikar and forest officials, who visited Vithal at the hospital, assured that the department would cover his medical expenses and appealed for his best treatment.
“In response to the incident, the forest department has implemented a ban on people’s entry into the Khanapur forest zone for an indefinite period from Thursday. As a precautionary measure, drums are being beaten in all the hamlets in Khanapur taluk, especially in the forest zone of Jamboti, to convey the urgent warning about the entry ban,” said SK Kallolikar, the deputy conservator of forest (DCF) Belagavi.
To prevent such incidents from recurring, the forest department has adopted the traditional method of beating drums to quickly spread the warning message, as mobile phone networks are not accessible in the hamlets, explained the DCF.
The Khanapur jungle, situated in the Sahyadri ghat, boasts a thick forest area with hundreds of seasonal waterfalls. Given that many people enter the forest zone daily, the department has imposed the entry prohibition. The Jamboti forest zone contains numerous hamlets inside and along the forest boundary, where villagers take their cattle to graze every morning and return before sunset.
DCF Kallolikar, said animals, especially bears, are highly protective of their cubs and do not allow other animals or humans to approach. He cited Vithal’s attack as an example, stating that the bear attacked him as he was near her cubs. As a precautionary measure, the department has prohibited people’s entry and advised villagers to be cautious, suggesting that they go in groups with life-protective arms if necessary.
To prevent people and villagers from entering the forest, the department has deployed a few guard teams in the hamlets.