Tribal man’s face, eye injured in bear attack

Daltonganj: A 38-year-old tribal man’s face, including the right eye, was severely damaged after he was attacked by a bear inside the Palamu Tiger Reserve on Sunday morning.
The injured man was identified as Sandip Toppo. “Toppo had ventured into the protected Kewarki forest’s Legu sub-beat area early on Sunday morning to collect mahua fruits. Around 5:45 am, he was attacked by an adult bear. The attack left him grievously injured in the face,” PTR ranger of Mahudanr Birender Pandey said. Pandey said the forest department would bear all of Toppo’s medical expenses.
Bleeding from his right eye, Toppo was rushed to a nearest community health centre in Mahuadanr in Latehar district soon after the incident. Health centre medical officer Dr Amit Khalko said, “The injured man had multiple bear bites on his face and his right eye was severely damaged. He was administered anti-rabies injection and antibiotics and was referred to Latehar Sadar Hospital.”
Toppo was brought to Latehar Sadar hospital around 11.30 am. On duty doctors found his condition unstable and he complained of poor sight in the right eye. “He was further referred to Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences. Arrangements were made to shift him to Rims in an ambulance,” district programme manager of the sadar hospital Ved Prakash told TOI.