Sloth bear sends Alakkarai folk panicking; foresters’ help sought

Udhagamandalam: Residents of Alakkarai village near Coonoor are living in fear after spotting a sloth bear and its two cubs in a tea estate located close to their village. The villagers on Saturday urged forest officials to capture the animals and release them in a forest area far away from their village.
The villagers spotted the sloth bear on Friday evening in a private tea estate close to their village. “When it rains and mist tends to form, bears often stray into our village. We had complained about this to the forest department several times, but in vain,” the villagers said.
They now want the forest officials to install a cage to capture the animals. “It is very scary to get out of the house in the late evenings. The forest department should take proper action in our interest,” the villagers said.
According to Saravana Kumar, assistant conservator of forests, Nilgiris division, the area surrounding Alakkarai village and the tea estate are known for sloth bear movements.
“A few days ago, a sloth bear was found dead in the area. The animal apparently died of injuries sustained during infighting. We will monitor the movement of the animals and if necessary, a cage would be installed in the area to capture the bear, along with the cubs,” the officer said.