Bear mauls man to death in J&K's Budgam

Srinagar, June 14 (IANS) Barely a fortnight after a little girl was killed in a leopard attack, now a man has been found mauled to death by a bear on Monday in the forests of Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district.Official sources said the man was grazing cattle in Ladermad forests when he was attacked by the animal."The bear mauled him to death. The victim has been identified as Mohammad Ramzan of Surasyar village in Chadoora tehsil of Budgam district," the source said.Incidents of man-animal conflict have increased in Kashmir during the last decade.This is attributed to mindless encroachment of natural habitats of wild animals by man because of competition for food and space.Experts believe that most of these encounters occur in areas which were part of the natural habitat of wild animals and have come under occupation of man during construction or for agricultural purposes.Two weeks back, a girl child was killed by a leopard in Humhama area of Budgam district. The area had been part of a Karewa with dense vegetation a few years before residential houses came up there.
--IANS sq/in