Gangtok: A Himalayan black bear was rescued by the Forest Department from the Raj Bhavan complex in Gangtok on Thursday, after a gruelling operation that lasted for hours.
The bear was first spotted by the Raj Bhavan staff around midnight, after which the Forest Department was informed about the matter. By the time, the bear ate some chickens at the staff quarters of the complex, leading to more panic among the people.
Forest officials said that they patrolled the complex the entire night to keep the bear at bay and, an operation was started to capture it as soon as the day broke. They added that the animal was captured around 12 pm after being tranquilised. ‘The bear was hiding under a culvert. We had to shoot it twice as we missed the first shot’, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Dechen Lachungpa said.
The officials further said that the animal would be released in the Pangalakha Wildlife sanctuary. Himalayan black bear is enlisted as a highly endangered species.
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