Kaghan police SHO says bears and leopards move down the mountains during winters. PHOTO: FILE
MANSEHRA: A hunter was killed while attempting to illegally hunt bear cubs in a Kaghan Valley forest on Wednesday.
Kaghan police SHO Khursheed Khan said Mazhar Afaq, 35, worked as a teacher at the Government Boys Middle School Rajwal.
Quoting Afaq’s wife Samina, the SHO said the schoolteacher left his house for Rajwal forest to hunt bear cubs three days ago and never returned. His family searched for him and announced his disappearance through the local mosque, but did not find any clue to his whereabouts.
When a group of villagers went searching for Afaq in the forest on Tuesday afternoon, they spotted his body in the bushes, and took it to a hospital in Kaghan.
According to hospital sources, Afaq had been dead for three days and sustained deep wounds on his face and chest. The size of these wounds indicated he had been attacked by a female bear, after which Afaq could not move and died because of the severe cold and his injuries. The victim’s limbs were intact, said doctors.
The SHO said during winter, when mountain tops receive heavy snowfall, bears and leopards move down to the populated areas for better subsistence. Poachers use that opportunity to catch bear cubs which they usually sell to buyers from Punjab. Hunters also kill bears and sell their hides at exorbitant rates, said SHO Khan.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2013.
COMMENTS (8)
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sounds like the hunter got what he deserved
@danish omer zuberi: Breaking News: It was CIA-Mossad-RAW agent wearing the sheep (sorry bear) garb.
laid there dying slowly bleeding to death in freezing cold and then they cadaver was there for three days and the ghost of hunter wandered restlessly trying to cry out to his wife and children but was surprised to see his own body emphasized text angered and vengeful he took the form of a raging bear and now haunts the forests in the cold and dark nights
Two guys are walking thru the woods when they see a charging Grizzly Bear. First guy says "Run for it!" Second guy says, "You can't outrun a Grizzly!" First guy says "I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun YOU."
The teacher was drunk on beer and bear could not bear to see a mullah with beard intoxicated on beer.
Well, he deserved mama's wrath.
These creatures have to bear too much.
You can't hunt cubs. The momma bear won't bear it.