‘Elusive’ bear caught after three days
Just a day after a three-day-long search and rescue operation for the elusive wild bear that had wandered off into a human settlement near Bhaata Chowk, Rawalpindi was called off, rescuers managed to trace out the furry creature.
The operation had been called off on Monday as officials of the Rescue-122 and Wildlife Department had failed to locate the whereabouts of the wild animal following hours-long efforts.
Last week, the bear was spotted by a security guard who captured a video of the bear on his mobile phone, and locals promptly alerted both Rescue 1122 and the Wildlife Department.
The furry creature, reportedly sighted near Bhatta Chowk within the limits of Naseerabad police station had mysteriously disappeared, leaving residents in a state of fear for the past three days.
The police managed to trace out the whereabouts of the bear with the help of CCTV cameras installed in the area and eventually reached a house only to find the animal tied with ropes by a local citizen.
The police safely recovered the animal and at first shifted it to the police station from where it was handed over to the rescue officials.
Talking to The Express Tribune, a Wildlife official clarified that it was a bear cub aged about one and a half years. “The bear cub does not pose a potential threat but due to its presence in the area, the locals were frightened,” he said. “It’ll be kept in the intensive care for a few days before being released into the forest,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2023.