Malappuram: A bear that entered temples and gorged on oil and ghee, giving sleepless nights to priests and locals, was finally caught in a trap set up by the Forest Department at the compound of Kombankallu Chirammal family temple in Thelpara at around 1 am on Wednesday.
The bear had been on the prowl in Kavalamukku, Olurvattam, Kompankallu and TK Colony for the last one-and-a-half years. It had destroyed several beehives set up by rubber plantation owners and fed on the honey. The locals were in panic as it appeared in human habitations frequently. The locals had been demanding that the bear, which had become a threat to lives and property in the area, be captured using a trap.
Basing on a report submitted by Nilambur South DFO, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests granted permission to trap the bear. The trap was set up in the temple courtyard. At around 12:45 AM on Wednesday, locals heard the sound of the trap door closing and found the bear inside. They immediately informed forest officials. A team led by Nilambur South DFO G Danik Lal, Kalikavu Range Officer P Rajeev, Forest Veterinary Surgeon Dr S Shyam, Chakkikuzhi Deputy Range Officer Abhilash and Pookottumpadam SI Satish Kumar arrived at the scene and examined the bear which was shifted from Kompankallu to the Nedungayam Forest Station area by 4 am.
Lal said the bear would be released into deep forest after a health check-up. On being asked about the presence of other bears in the area, he stated the Forest Department was not certain but an exercise would be carried out soon to ascertain it.
Ward member VK Balasubramanian expressed relief that the bear, which had become a threat to human lives, was trapped and said that people's fears had been alleviated to some extent. He thanked the Forest Department staff who worked hard for months to capture the bear. Balasubramanian said it was suspected that thieves had been stealing oil and ghee from the temples in the area but later it came to fore that the bear had been causing mayhem in the area.
