Man Attacked By Black Bear in Bandipora Succumbs to Injuries

Man Attacked By Black Bear in Bandipora Succumbs to Injuries

Babar Rather

Bandipora, Aug 11 (GNS): A 50-year-old man, who was attacked by a black bear in Balhama village of Arin in Bandipora district almost two weeks before, passed away on Friday.

An official told GNS that Ghulam Mohammad Wani, 50, son of late Ghulam Hassan Wani, had been under treatment at SKIMS Soura after being attacked by a black bear on July 29″, the official said adding despite all possible efforts by the doctors, he couldn’t be saved.

Expressing condolences over Wani’s passing, a Wildlife Department official said his death is an irreparable loss. He highlighted the department’s role in providing relief and ex-gratia payments’ in such cases.

“In accordance with the department’s procedures, a sum of up to 5 lakh INR is being provided to the family in the case of death, and up to 3 lakh INR for grievous injuries caused by wildlife encounters,” he said.

The incident sheds light on the challenges posed by human-animal conflicts in the region, as well as the need for adequate resources and manpower to manage such situations effectively.

It has been off and on highlighted that the Wildlife Department has been grappling with shortages in both equipment and personnel, hampering their ability to respond swiftly and efficiently to such incidents. (GNS)