Eight farmers were injured in an attack by a bear in Kidisingi-Vajrapukotturu area of Srikakulam district on Monday. Six of them, who sustained grievous injuries, were admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) here.
The injured have been identified as Appala Swamy, Purushottam, Chalapathi, Shanmukha Rao, Santosh and Tulasidas.
According to the residents, one Kalamata Kondalarao (72) died after he was attacked by a bear on Sunday.
The bear attacked the farmers when they were working in coconut and cashew orchards. Around 10 cattle were also injured in the incident.
The residents have been complaining about the bear menace in the orchards in Vajrapukotturu, Mandasa, Sompeta, Itchapuram and other areas. They allege that the forest officials are not taking any concrete steps to check the menace.
Meanwhile, Collector Shrikesh B. Lathkar has asked the RIMS officials to ensure proper treatment to the injured.
