- File photo: IANS
NEW DELHI: Man–animal conflict in the Uttarakhand hills continues unabated, with a bear on Monday (Dec 22) attempting to drag away a schoolboy from his classroom—its second attack at the same school.
Although the child was rescued due to the swift action of teachers and students, the incident has triggered widespread fear across the Chamoli district. The government has since deployed escorts for school-going children.
In a startling incident on Monday morning in the Pokhari hill area of Chamoli, a bear lifted a Class VI student of Harishankar Junior High School from his classroom and rushed toward the nearby forest.
However, the prompt and courageous response of teachers and students forced the bear to drop the child.
The boy, identified as Aarav, sustained multiple claw injuries and was found in nearby bushes.
School staff members, speaking on condition of anonymity, said in a video that panic broke out as soon as the bear was spotted roaming inside the campus.
Although doors of classrooms were shut immediately, the ferocious animal began banging on them.
Terrified students hid inside the rooms as the bear attempted to break one of the doors. Eventually, it managed to pull Aarav out of his classroom.
According to the staff, the quick reaction of other students and teachers—who rushed toward the bear—prompted it to flee, leaving the injured child behind.
“We are unable to understand why the administration has still not taken strong measures to protect the students. A similar attack had occurred just a few days ago in another locality. Although Aarav’s life was saved thanks to the courage of the students and teachers, fear now grips the entire school. Everyone is terrified,” a teacher said in the video.
The video also shows students crying after witnessing Aarav’s injuries. Just two days earlier, a bear had attacked another student from the same school as he was returning home after classes.
Meanwhile, in Jolly Grant, forest guards under the Thano Forest Range are escorting children to school following a series of bear sightings in the hills.
A few days ago, in Kameth (Sod) village under the Gadool Panchayat, two bears seriously injured a woman who had gone to the fields to collect grass.
Since then, fear has gripped the entire region. The threat is particularly severe for schoolchildren and women who venture into the forest for fodder. - The Statesman/ANN
