Bear Attack In India: Sloth Bear Kills And Eats Man, Injures Another

A bear attack has left one person dead and another individual injured in India, reports the Times of India. The bear attack was reported from the southern India state of Karnataka.

The person who was killed by the bear has been identified as a 45-year-old man named Somanna. The man was attacked by the bear after he ventured into a wooded area within his property in search for aloe vera, a medicinal plant. He was caught by surprise after he saw the bear on his property — and in self defense, attacked the bear using his machete. Provoked by the attack, the bear retaliated with utter brutality and mauled Somanna to death.

Hearing Somanna’s cries for help a crowd gathered near the location and started throwing stones and sticks at the bear. Instead of getting scared, the bear charged at the crowd of people and in the process, injured another man. The injured man has been identified as 60-year-old Thimmiah. After the crowd was scared away by the bear, they witnessed the gory sight of the animal getting back to Somanna’s body and eating parts of it, reports VancouverDesi.

“The bear apparently sat next to the dead body for four hours and frequently nibbled at the body. It refused to go away. We’re witnessing such an incident for the first time in the state,” one expert told the Times of India. “Usually, bears try to push or injure a human in such encounters. In many cases, bears run away. What we saw on Monday was different.”

It took hours for any help to reach Somanna, and for four agonizing hours, the bear refused to let go of the body and continued nibbling away his remains. This is extremely unusual for a sloth bear, whose primary diet only consists of termites, fruits, and bees.

When authorities arrived, the bear remained aggressive and it was finally shot dead.

Meanwhile, Thimmiah is currently admitted to PMSSY hospital in the region and continues to be in the ICU. He suffered lacerations to his face and right eye and has lost vision in that eye, according to reports.

“The bear chased my husband, landed a few blows on his face and pawed him till he fell unconscious. Villagers told me that the animal gnawed at his face and then spat at him,” said Thimmaiah’s wife Sakamma.

The Indian government has given a sum of Rs 15,000 ($250) as medical expenses to the family of Thimmiah.

[Image Via Wikimedia Commons]