BHOPAL: A sloth bear mauled a couple to death and fed on their bodies in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh. Mukesh Rai, 43, and his wife Gudiya, 39, died trying to save each other from the bear, say sources.
Bear attacks on humans, where the animal eats the victim, are very rare.
The couple was returning from Khermai temple on Sunday morning when their paths crossed with a bear, less than 1km from their house. They are believed to have stuck together while confronting the bear but were ripped to pieces.
Witnesses told police that the bear “tore their bodies apart”, dragged them to a nullah where it fed on them for four hours. The bear was captured five hours after the incident.
A crowd gathered as the grisly news spread like bushfire. Forest personnel arrived a couple of hours after being informed, and it took them another two hours to tranquilise the bear.
Forest officers said that the rescued sloth would be shifted to a zoo. Financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh would be given to the dependents of the couple. Locals held a protest, demanding jobs for members of the family.
