60 stitches, mostly on head, to shooter before being shifted to SMHS

Shopian: Two persons, including a wildlife department tranquiliser shooter, were grievously injured by a black bear in Imamsahib area of Shopian on Thursday morning. The bear was later tranquilised by a team of Wildlife Control Room Division Shopian.

Locals from Kadgam and Chitterwach villages told Kashmir Reader that they sighted the bear in the village after the animal attacked a person named Nazir Ahmad Sheikh and left him with major injuries on the face.

They said that Sheikh was rushed to a hospital in Shopian from where he was shifted to SMHS Hospital in Srinagar.

Soon after, the locals said, they informed the wildlife control room in Shopian, which swiftly sent a team of tranquiliser shooters along with cages.

When the team sighted the bear and approached, the bear attacked their shooter, Irfan Ahmad.

Ahmad, according to the control room in-charge Mudasir Ahmad, sustained serious injuries on his head and near his spine. He was shifted to the Shopian district hospital from where he was shifted to SMHS Srinagar.

“Our shooter sustained injuries near the spine and had to undergo 60 stitches, mostly on the head,” Mudasir Ahmad said.

Officials said that the animal may be released in a wildlife habitation. “This is a man-eater massive bear and the decision of its release will be decided by the senior team of wildlife experts,” Mudasir said.

Raashid Hassan