Bear trapped in Thelpara near Malappuram, relocated

Forest staff trap bear terrorizing Thelpara, Nilambur; caught in temple courtyard, relocated to forest 30 km away.

A bear that terrorised Thelpara and neighbouring areas near Nilambur was caught in a trap set up by the forest staff on Tuesday (February 11, 2025) night. The bear was trapped in a cage set up in the courtyard of Kurumba temple at Thelpara.

The forest staff set up three cages at different places in the wake of frequent complaints from the local residents about the bear menace. Residents said they had been living in constant fear as the bear had become a threat for them.

“Our children could not go to school without fear. We could not move out safely as the bear started frequenting our area in search of food,” said Mani, a local resident.

Apart from destroying agri-horticulture products, the bear had even entered the temple compound and destroyed pooja items. As expected, the bear was caught in the trap set up in the temple compound.

Forest officials shifted the bear to Nedumkayam forest station. It was later released about 30 km inside the forest.

Nilambur South Divisional Forest Officer G. Dhanik Lal said that the fully grown black male bear was healthy and it weighed more than 200 kg. “It is highly unlikely to return all the way,” he said.