Farmer killed and woman injured in bear attack at farm in Madavu, India

A wild bear was shot dead by police Monday after it killed a farmer and grievously injured another person at a farm near Madhugiri, a police official said. "We had to shoot the bear dead when it tried to attack other villagers of Chilanahalli as firing gun shots in the air failed to drive it away from the field where it killed farmer Somanna, 36, and grievously injured Thimmanna, 55, earlier in the day," Tumakuru police superintendent Raman Gupta told IANS.

The shocking incident occurred about 70km from here and 140km from Bengaluru when the victim (Somanna) went to his farm where the 12-year-old bear was hiding in the paddy field.

The bear killed Somanna on the spot.

"The bear appears to have strayed into the farm from the adjacent sanctuary in search of food.

The wild animal also attacked Thimmanna when he rushed into the paddy field on hearing Somanna screaming for help," Gupta recalled.

By the time police personnel and forest guards reached the spot to rescue Thimmanna and retrieve Somanna's body, the furious bear had already eaten his right leg and a portion of thigh.

"As hundreds of people gathered around the violent bear and hurled stones at it, the wild animal turned furious and tried to pounce on some of them. When the bear did not relent, our men fired at it on the advice of the deputy conservator of forests (N.V. Amarnath) and killed it to save the villagers from attacked," Gupta added.

The forest department gave Rs.2 lakh compensation to the victim's family. Thimmanna was rushed to a state-run hospital here for treatment.