In what was a freak incident, a bear attacked five people on the outskirts of Bengaluru at 3 am on March 30. It first attacked a person near a godown behind the popular Narayana Hrudalaya on Hosur Road. It also attacked two persons near Thattanahalli in Attibele and three people in Shettahalli, according to a report by The Hindu.
Other than bears, leopards are spotted occasionally on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Two of the five who were attacked sustained severe injuries and were admitted to a hospital while others were treated at outpatient wards. The people who were attacked were either working in a farm or were answering nature's call, according to forest department officials.
“We received information about the movement of the animal after it was spotted by the general public near Chandapura and our staff rushed to the spot. The staff spotted the movement of the animal near Shettahalli and the bear tried to attack them but they managed to escape. After that, we could not trace the animal and the search is on," an official told the publication.
They added that the bear maybe about seven to eight years old and that it is difficult to determine where the animal came from. "There is forest on three sides - Hosur side, Jawalgiri forest attached to Tamil Nadu and Bannerghatta forest,” he added.