Carcass of bear cub found

Dharamsala, October 19

A carcass of Himalayan black bear cub was found under mysterious circumstances in the Jia area of Kangra district. Forest Department officials have ruled out any foul play.

BS Yadav, DFO, Palampur, said the black bear was an eight-month-old cub. It seemed to have been killed in a leopard attack as it had attack marks on its neck.

Interestingly, the cubs of Himalayan black bear usually accompany their mothers till the age of one and leopards rarely attack them.

In the present case, the parts of the animal were intact which negated the theory that it might have been killed by poachers. The Himalayan black bear has been classified as vulnerable on the IUCN list of endangered animals. — TNS