Bettiah: Panic gripped residents after two pairs of wild bears entered residential area of the water resources department’s E-Type Colony in Valmikinagar, along the Indo-Nepal border in West Champaran district on Tuesday night. Forest department has stepped up patrolling in the area after wild animals entered homes and damaged property.According to Braj Kishore Raut, a resident of the area, the bears were first spotted roaming near the Pahad Colony in the Upper Camp area before moving towards the Lower Camp around 11pm. “The bears entered my residential premises, overturned the poultry shed and plucked the feathers of the chickens. They then stood near the window of my house and began banging on the window and wall with great force, sounding as though someone was knocking with their fists. My family was terrified and remained indoors throughout the ordeal,” Raut said.He added that the animals also entered another residential compound in the colony, where they repeatedly struck the tin fencing, leaving residents frightened throughout the night.Valmikinagar ranger Satyam Kumar said bears possess one of the strongest senses of smell, enabling them to detect food from several kilometres away. “Their sense of smell is about seven times stronger than that of a bloodhound and nearly 2,100 times stronger than that of humans. The strong aroma of ripe mangoes attracts them instantly. Ripe mangoes are rich in sugar and calories, making them an ideal source of energy. It is therefore highly likely that the bears entered the residential colony in search of food, particularly fallen mangoes from trees,” Kumar said.He added that the movement of wild animals towards human habitations generally increases during the monsoon season.“Keeping this in view, the forest department has deployed foot patrols and intensified night patrolling in the area. Residents should immediately inform the forest department if any wild animal enters residential premises, regardless of the time of day or night, so that timely rescue operations can be carried out or the animals can be driven back into the forest. Since the bears have already visited this residential colony once, there is a possibility that they may return. Our teams are on alert, and night patrolling has been further intensified in the locality,” Kumar said.
Attachment
Attachment
