Finally there was respite for the bear which had climbed a tree after been chased by villagers in Nabarangpur district in Odisha, as it was rescued by forest officials.

It was on Sunday that the animal had entered the Nayakguda village which falls in the Nabarangpur forest division looking for food and it climbed a tree when irate people rushed after it. According to the District Forest Officer, Prasanna Kumar Behera, the terrified creature had hung on to the branches for almost 32 years and was rescued on Monday.

When villagers informed the authorities about the bear, the forest department rushed a 10-member team of officials to the spot and they had a tough job in bringing the animal down. After clearing the people away from the area, they first offered the bear its favourite food including jaggery and mahua flowers to lure it down. The frightened animal refused to budge following which they decided to tranquilise it.

Once the bear was brought down from the tree in an unconscious state, it was immediately moved to the Umerkote range office in a cage where necessary veterinary care was administered.

 “After monitoring its health for a few hours, the animal was released into the forest on Monday night,” an official informed the media. Villagers and local residents conveyed to the Forest Department officials that wild bears often come to their area in search of food and requested them to prevent such incursions.