Overview

• At around 5 am on July 7 in Bastua village, a bear mauled 80-year-old Babbu Yadav and three others who rushed to assist him, killing three villagers and critically injuring four.
• Enraged residents surrounded the animal and beat it to death with sticks before authorities could intervene.
• Post-mortem examinations on the bear have been completed and two of the injured remain hospitalized under anti-rabies precautions.
• The Forest Department has opened an investigation into the mauling and cautioned villagers against venturing into the forest alone.
• Villagers are demanding increased patrolling and long-term safety measures to reduce human-wildlife conflicts near the Sanjay Tiger Reserve.