Man from Jajpur district dies days after getting injured in sloth bear attack

Kendrapada: A 27-year-old man from Jajpur district, who sustained critical injuries in a sloth bear attack last month, succumbed to his wounds on Wednesday night while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Cuttack.The deceased, Chinmaya Jena of Turunga village under Dalijoda forest range, was attacked by a bear on Aug 27 while attending to nature’s call in a nearby forest patch. He was initially taken to the community health centre (CHC) in Barachana and later shifted to a private hospital in Cuttack, where his condition deteriorated.Jena got married just four months ago. His wife will be provided a compensation of Rs 10 lakh by the forest department, Sachitananda Subudhi, forest range officer of Dalijoda said.Subudhi added that sloth bears are classified as Schedule I animals under the Wildlife Protection Act, making any harm to them a punishable offence. “Bears often stray into villages due to food scarcity in the forest. They are sensitive to fear and usually do not pose a threat unless provoked,” he said. He also warned that locals entering forest areas without permission to collect wood, mushrooms or mahua flowers are violating forest laws.