A sloth bear, while being released into the wild inside Kalakkaad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve near here, attacked and injured two veterinarians .
The fleeing animal attacked the vehicle the vets were standing. While it bit the right calf muscle of forest veterinarian Manoharan, Muthukrishnan of Veterinary College and Research Institute, Tirunelveli, fell from the vehicle and got injured .
According to forest officials, the forest personnel attached to the Kadayam Range, led by Range Officer C. Nellainayagam, had successfully trapped two sloth bears at Mudaliyarpatti and Bungalowkudiyiruppu last Tuesday after farmers filed complaints that they raided jackfruit orchards.
While a seven-year-old female bear was caged at Mudaliyarpatti, an eight-year-old female bear was trapped at Bungalow Kudiyiruppu at 9.10 p.m. The forest personnel had used jack fruit as bait and the captures were completed within a day.
After releasing the first animal, the team of forest and veterinarians took the eight-year-old bear to Koviltheri beat beyond Papanasam in the KMTR, situated about 30 km away from the spot where it was captured, on Wednesday morning.
Dr. Manoharan and Dr. Muthukrishnan examined the animal for injuries. Since the bear was healthy and active, it was taken to be released into the KMTR. Whenever a caged panther or bear is released inside the KMTR after being taken in a tractor, one group of forest personnel would open the cage while standing atop the steel enclosure, another group standing at the top of another vehicle would take photos and videos of the animal running into the forests.
When the forest personnel standing atop the cage opened it, the bear that came out went straight at the other vehicle on which veterinarians Manoharan and Muthukrishnan were standing to take photos and videos. As the forest personnel shouted, the frightened animal changed its course towards the forest for a second but ran towards the vets again and pounced on them.
Though the shouts from their colleagues saved the duo from the wild animal that ran into the forest in a flash, it bit Dr. Manoharan on his right calf muscle for which the vet was given a few sutures in the hospital.
Deputy Director of KMTR’s Ambasamudram Division Kommu Omkaram, who was present at the spot while the sloth bear was released, said, “Dr. Muthukrishnan was discharged with some bruises for which immediate medical attention was given. Dr. Manoharan will be discharged after the sutures are removed."
