The dwindling forest cover combined with the prevailing high heat conditions are forcing wild animals, especially sloth bears, to enter into human habitations in search of food and water.
There have been a number of instances of wild bears getting trapped in the open wells they enter to quench their thirst. On Thursday two bear cubs got trapped in an open well in Gattubuthkur village of Gangadhara mandal. However, the forest officials rescued them and released them back into the forests.
Come summer, wild animals begin to venture into human habitations, especially the farms in search of water and food. Though, the forest officials are taking steps like building and filling up water troughs in the forest area, the wild animals are venturing out for food. Karimnagar district, had the highest sloth bear population in the State, over 3,000, due to the mountainous region with thick jungles, today the numbers have come down below 1,000 due to increasing quarrying of the hillocks resulting in man-animal conflict.
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Mohan Chandra Paragaien said that the wild animals were entering human habitations as the animal habitats were being disturbed by quarry operations. The excavation by machines and blasting of stone was terrorizing the animals and pushing them to enter into human habitations for safety and food. There have been a number of incidents of wild bears entering human habitations and getting trapped in wells and other places. But, we are rescuing the animals and shifting them safely to forests, he maintained.
