Chamoli – Fear of wild animals continues to loom large in the region as a school-going student narrowly escaped a serious bear attack on Saturday morning. A Class 7 student, Devesh of Junior High School Harishankar, was attacked by a bear cub while on his way to school. The incident occurred when the bear emerged suddenly from bushes along the route and clawed the student’s leg.
According to information, Devesh was walking to school with his younger friend Pakesh, a Class 6 student from the same village. As they passed through a forested stretch, the bear cub came out of dense shrubs and grabbed Devesh’s leg, leaving scratch marks from its nails. Displaying presence of mind, Pakesh shouted loudly and hurled stones at the animal, forcing it to retreat into the forest. His quick response prevented the situation from turning fatal.
Teacher Manbar Rawat confirmed that the forest department was informed immediately after the incident. The injured student was taken to the Primary Health Centre at Pokhari, where he was given first aid. Sub-Divisional Forest Officer Birendra Singh Negi said the injuries were minor, with only superficial nail marks on the leg.
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After treatment, the student was safely escorted home with the help of forest personnel. Health officials confirmed there was no serious injury. Forest staff have increased patrolling in the area, but villagers remain anxious, saying repeated bear sightings near school routes are putting children’s safety at risk. Locals have demanded stronger preventive measures, as mere advisories and patrols are proving insufficient.
