Angry people killed a bear after it mauled to death a 12-year-old girl at Chitra forest of Kotpad range in Koraput district of Odisha, officials said today.
The victim in the bear attack yesterday was identified as Dhanmati Majhi.
The incident occurred last evening when at least 100 tribal women and girls had gone to the forest to collect wild mushrooms and they were confronted by the bear.
"While other women managed to flee, the bear mauled the girl. She died on the spot. No one else was injured in the bear attack," forest range officer (Kotpad) Jagadish Patnaik said.
A group of angry villagers went into the forest and attacked the bear, which was guarding the body of the girl, with sticks, stones and iron rods.
"The bear died. We have recovered the carcass and an autopsy has been conducted," he said.
At least 10 persons and two bears have been killed in bear-human conflict in Kotpad forest range in the past few weeks, officials said.
