Rare white bear strays out of CG forests, sparks panic after villager attacked

Raipur: A rare white sloth bear roaming the forests of Chhattisgarh’s Marwahi region emerged from the wilderness again — this time straying dangerously close to villages and highways, attacking a villager and triggering panic across forest-fringe settlements over the last couple of days.Sporting a pale white complexion, the bear, believed to be an albino sloth, was spotted near the Nawagaon–Basantpur stretch on the busy Pendra-Ratanpur route, with stunned locals recording videos of the animal moving close to human habitation.Forest officials said the animal does not belong to a separate species but an extremely rare genetic variation of the Indian sloth bear. Due to albinism — a condition caused by loss of pigmentation — the bear’s fur turned pale white instead of the species’ usual black complexion.What initially appeared to be a fascinating moment of wildlife sighting soon turned alarming as the bear allegedly attacked a villager, identified as Lallu Driver, near the Amadand forest area.According to villagers, a group of locals had entered the forest when the bear suddenly emerged from thick vegetation alongside other black bears. Before anyone could react, it allegedly pounced on the man leaving him with serious injuries in his hands and upper body.Panic gripped the area as locals screamed and tried to chase the animal away. After several tense moments, the bear eventually retreated deeper into the forest, allowing residents to rescue the injured man and rush him to a hospital.Meanwhile, forest department teams were deployed to monitor the bear’s movement and prevent further run-ins or tense exchanges with civilians. Officials advised villagers not to venture deep into forests unnecessarily while warning people against trying to film or chase the animal for viral videos or reels.“This is among the rarest wildlife sightings in the state. However, people need to exercise extreme caution as it is a wild sloth bear, which can turn aggressive if startled or cornered,” a forest official said.Officials said Marwahi forests have reported occasional sightings of the white bear for nearly two decades, marking it as a region of interest for wildlife researchers and conservationists.However, the forest staff said the animal had rarely ventured this close to populated areas or major roads earlier.The latest sighting comes amid a severe summer wave sweeping central India, with shrinking water sources and food scarcity believed to be drawing the local wildlife out of forests in search of water and shelter.