Locals spot bear near K R Puram

A sloth bear was wandering around villages on the outskirts of Krishnarajapuram, according to locals. They claim to have last sighted the bear in Doddabanahalli on Wednesday, reports DHNS from Bengaluru.

Forest officials received information about the presence of a sloth bear around 2.45 pm. "Locals reported sighting a sloth bear on the outskirts of Doddabanahalli village, but we have not spotted it yet. We have only seen some signs of the animal," said a forest official.

The forest staffers suspect that the animal may have come into the village from another location by a goods train. The villagers report that a goods train had halted near the village on Tuesday and Monday.

"The wandering bear may have entered one of the wagons at night. There is no forest patch near by. The animal may also have strayed from Malur. There are many hamlets en route to Doddabanhalli," the official said. It may have also walked a long distance.

Officials have placed food in cages to trap the animal. Staffers from Bannerghatta Biological Park and the Sloth Bear Rescue Centre have also been deployed.