Himachal: Bear menace strikes Rampur, 25 cows attacked

Villagers in Himachal Pradesh's Rampur have been living in a state of terror since the past one week after a bear attacked at least 25 household cows in the village.

Tekchand Sarkek, a Rampur native, narrated his ordeal while urging the authorities to take cognisance of the situation.

"From the past one week, the bear has attacked many places in this village. It has killed many cows in the village. I want forest officials to kill the bear as it is attacking again and again," he said.

"Our livelihood depends on the cows. The bear has created terror in the area. Last night, the bear attacked our cows brutally and also broke the gate of the cowshed. It has attacked around 20-25 cows so far," said another villager Chandrakala.

Authorities, meanwhile, have taken note of the situation and were slated to take necessary steps to restore peace in the area today.

"We are acting on the information that we have received. A team from Rampur and Shimla will reach the village. We are also bringing cages and will use tranquilizers in order to capture the bear. All the necessary action will be taken today," said Arvind Kumar, Kotgarh's Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) on Tuesday.