Captured Himalayan Black Bear released in the wild

Gangtok, Nov 4 : The Himalayan Black Bear, which had injured two senior forest officials and a medic assistant yesterday at Upper Sichey, Gangtok, and was later captured and taken to the Himalayan Zoological Park, Bulbuley, was today released in the wild at the Kupup reserve forest close to the Memenchu Lake.

Kupup is in East Sikkim at an altitude of 13,000 feet and close to the Indo-China border at Nathu La.

Chief Wildlife Warden NT Bhutia told mediapersons that the caged bear was despatched with the forest officials to the reserve forest at Kupup area close to the Memenchu lake where the animal will be released in the wild.

''The decision was taken since there was not enough area in the Himalayan Zoological Park to house the bear and we feared that there will be infighting within the enclosure,'' Bhutia said.

The bear had strayed and wandered into a human habitat in the suburbs of the capital yesterday, injuring forest department joint director JB Subba, DFO (Territorial, East) BB Gurung and Himalayan Zoological Park medic assistant Sonam Tshering Lepcha. The incident occurred at Seteybazaar, in Upper Sichey very close to the East District administrative complex.

The officials were mauled during an attempt to capture the animal. Senior forest officials said the bear could have probably come in search of food from the nearby Rateychu reserve forest.

The bear, a fully adult one, weighed approximately 90 kgs and was of a height of 3.5 feet.

The Himalayan Black Bear is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife protection Act.

In a similar incident, another black bear mauled a 60-year-old person at a forest area near Pelling, West Sikkim yesterday.

The victim was returning home at Tingchuk from Dokathang when he was attacked by the bear and sustained serious injuries.

The victim survived the attack and is presently being treated at STNM hospital here.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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