A wild black bear entering a populated area in the Kokernag region of Anantnag district in South Kashmir caused an uproar, after which the wildlife department team safely captured it after considerable effort and released it back into the forest. A video of this incident is circulating on social media.
Residents of Kokernag village had been fearful for several days due to the appearance of black bears. According to the villagers, the bear had been seen around the village for the past week, appearing near homes at night, causing significant fear among children and the elderly.
The bear had also attempted to attack domestic animals multiple times. The villagers had lodged several complaints regarding this matter with the wildlife department. Upon receiving the information, the department began monitoring the bear's activities and worked to locate its footprints using a cage in the area.
This incident occurred on the morning of October 13th when the bear went inside a closed shop in the village and hid there. When the shopkeeper opened the shop, he panicked upon seeing the bear and fled. He immediately informed the local people and the wildlife department. Upon receiving the information, a large number of people gathered at the scene.
The wildlife department team reached the spot. The team first controlled the crowd and surrounded the entire area so that the bear could not escape and harm anyone. During this long rescue operation, the bear was first attempted to be trapped in a cage.
After being caught in the cage, the wildlife department doctors tranquilized the bear using a tranquilizer dart. After becoming unconscious, the team carefully removed the bear from the cage and conducted a medical examination. Subsequently, it was taken to a dense forest away from the population and released.
A wildlife official confirmed that the bear is completely healthy and has been safely returned to its natural habitat. He requested the public not to try to catch any wild animal themselves if they see one, but rather to inform the department immediately. After the bear was caught, the villagers breathed a sigh of relief, as they had not been able to sleep properly at night for several days. The official also mentioned that the apple season is underway in the Kashmir Valley, which causes wild animals to come into populated areas in search of food.