Bear finally caught after it roamed residential areas in Hosapete for months

A bear that was roaming the residential areas in Hosapete for several months causing concern among locals has finally been captured by the Forest Department.

The operation took place on Thursday night on Sandur Road on the outskirts of the city.

Forest officials spotted the bear, a male weighing around 70 kg, perched on a tree near the Annapoorna Garage.

They quickly cordoned off the area and called for reinforcements. A team from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Zoological Park in Kamalapura, including a veterinary doctor, arrived with nets and a cage.

The vet successfully sedated the bear with a dart while it was still on the tree, allowing officials to safely bring it down and secure it in the cage.

Range Forest Officer Koushik Dalwai told media that the bear was known to have been frequenting areas like Sanklapura, Kariganuru, Rajapura, Joladarashi Hill and Jambunatha Hill.

“It never attacked people but its frequent appearances caused anxiety among residents. We have been trying to capture it and the operation on Thursday night was completed successfully,” he said.

Sources in the Forest Department indicated that the bear will undergo a health check before being temporarily housed at the zoo. Senior officials will then decide on its final release location after studying its movements and behaviour.

Mr. Dalwai speculated that the bear’s presence in populated areas might have been driven by its appetite for food. He noted that the animal is known to have been attracted to a snacks factory in Sanklapura and was also found tasting the oil from the lamps at the Jambunatha temple.

“It is difficult to say where it came from or why it came here in the first place but these food sources kept it in the area,” he explained.

The successful capture operation was led by Deputy Conservator of Forests Anupama, Kamalapura Zoo Deputy Conservator of Forests Rajesh Naik and Assistant Conservator of Forests Bhaskar.