THE world’s deadliest bear doesn’t inhabit the wilds of North America or the Arctic but is a shaggy and unkempt cousin that lives in India.
The sloth bear is responsible for more fatalities than polar bears or grizzlies and attacks leave victims with their faces torn off if they survive – and having their corpses eaten if they don’t.
The name ‘sloth bear’ is extremely misleading as they share few traits with the sloth, to whom they are not related.
They’re agile bears that can run faster than a human and will attack if surprised, with many survivors suffering life-changing injuries.
They appear fearless, with even tigers backing down in confrontations with the sharp-clawed beasts.
Shaggy, dusty and unkempt, the sloth bear lives in the forests of South Asia.
THREE-HOUR BATTLE
Jube Valanti Adveppache, 58, had his face ripped open by the clawed beast but managed to stagger for miles to seek medical help.
Somehow he survived the horrific head injuries he suffered from a terrifying three-hour mauling.
The mushroom grower was working his fields in southern India when a sloth bear attacked without warning.
When it thought Jube was dead, it moved off into the dense forests around Haliyal in Karnataka State.
Brave Jube then managed to stagger nearly three miles while suffering from heavy bleeding to get to his village.
KILLED FOR A SELFIE
Despite warnings, Prabhu Bhatara, a driver in India, jumped from his vehicle to take photos of a sloth bear.
The bear was already injured when he approached it – but he slipped trying to take the photo and it pounced, according to local reports.
Disturbing video taken of his drawn-out death showed him being dragged and mauled while others stood around filming.
The animal is seen repeatedly biting and scratching him as he struggles to escape.
Several villagers, as well as a feisty dog, fail to get the bear off him.
VILLAGE RAMPAGE
A sloth bear brought terror to villagers in India when it entered in the early hours of the morning.
The 350lb beast reportedly attacked four people near to a forest as parents grabbed their children and pulled them indoors.
In a video taken from the scene, panicked locals can be seen racing around the village as they try to locate the bear.
One person spots it on the other side of a bank and immediately hurls a rock at it and others join in, throwing rocks until the bear disappears into the forest.
Pictures show one elderly man with his bloodied head and arms bandaged up after being attacked.
FACE RIPPED OFF
Muhammad Mumtaz was left with half of his face ripped off and missing an eyeball after being attacked by a sloth bear.
“The bear pounced upon me all of a sudden and started scratching my head – it felt like a heavy boulder had crushed me,” said Muhammad, who’s in his early 30s.
The incident took place in Uri, in the north Kashmir Baramulla district of India’s Jammu and Kashmir state earlier this year.
In 2020, a labourer was mauled by a sloth bear in the same region.
A shocking clip shows the beast leaping onto Ghulam Qadir Sheikh, 57, and dragging him down a steep hill in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Budgam district.
The animal launched its attack after a crowd of locals try shoo it away, throwing Qadir to the ground and hurling him around like a rag doll.
Eventually a passer-by intervened and hit the bear with a stick before it released its grip.
BRUTALLY KILLED AND EATEN
An unfortunate Indian farmer was killed and partially eaten by a sloth bear.
The farmer is understood to have ventured into a wooded area of his property near the remote village of Madhugiri in Karnataka state.
The 45-year-old – identified only as a Somanna – is understood to have come face-to-face with the bear and, fearing for his life, attacked it with a machete.
The animal retaliated, mauling him to death and then began eating his remains.
During the attack, the farmer’s cries for help attracted a crowd to the scene who began to throwing stones to scare it away.
The enraged bear then charged at the crowd, seriously injuring a second man, before it was shot by police.
Source:- The Sun Uk
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