Three persons were seriously injured and another sustained minor injuries following a bear attack in Thambalagamuwa in Trincomalee yesterday.
The bear had entered a colony and had caused injuries to four people and the wildlife officials had to be called. The bear had died when a firearm had gone off when wildlife officials grappled to control the animal.
“We entered the village and searched for the bear.
The bear then jumped onto the vehicle and began attacking the windscreen. The driver reversed the vehicle and the bear fell but climbed back again from the rear and began attacking us. We tried to control the bear and while doing so a firearm went off. The bear was wounded near his eye and we rushed the bear to the Girithale veterinarian office but it died within sight of the office,” Wildlife Assistant D.M Siriwardene said.
Veterinarian Dr.Sameera Palinguarachchi suspected the bear was suffering from rabies after the post-mortem examination. The carcass was sent to the Peradeniya veterinary faculty for further examination.
Eastern Province Governor Rohitha Bogollagama had informed authorities to conduct an investigation of the shooting.