At least four persons were injured, one of them seriously, in bear attack near Babukelgaon under the Saintala police station on Friday.
The bear first attacked Hiradhar Selma of Babukelgaon leaving him critically injured near Babukelagon and later attacked three others while they were working in a field just a few meters away from the first incident.
While the critically injured Hiradhar is undergoing treatment at VSS Medical College at Burla the other three minor injured persons, whose identities are yet to be confirmed, are undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital.
“I was going to Tusura market in the morning while I saw people watching a bear at a place five km away from Babukelgaon. As I marched forward for the market alone the bear suddenly jumped on me from behind and attacked me on my head and neck,” said critically injured Hiradhar.
Meanwhile, Balangir DFO Abhiram Nayak said the Forest department would bear all the medical expenses of Hiradhar.
“The bear might have come to eat Tol, Mahul and has come face-to-face with these persons. We have started operations to catch the animal,” said the DFO.
