Tense situation prevailed in the forest fringe villages near Kuppam bordering Tamil Nadu after a 55-year-old cattle-rearer was mauled by a wild bear on Saturday evening.
The incident came to light on Sunday after the family members of the injured rushed him to a hospital at Vaniyambadi in Tamil Nadu.
As per information, Kamaraju ekes out a livelihood by tending cattle at B.D. Chenlu village of Kuppam mandal.
On Saturday, he was watching the cows graze along the forest buffer zone when one animal started running deep into the jungle. He ran after it and caught hold of it.
While exiting the forest, he crossed the path of a sloth bear, which attacked him, inflicting gashes on his hands and waist.
Leaving behind the cattle herd, Kamaraju ran for his life and fell unconscious after reaching home.
The family members shifted him to the hospital at Vaniyambadi around midnight.
Seeing the commotion on the rural side, Kuppam range forest officials reached the location and conducted preliminary inspections. It was observed that there was no threat of bears straying into the village.
