Wed Feb 12 07:11:56 UTC 2025: ## Local Bear Menace Resolved: Nilambur Bear Relocated After Capture
**MALAPPURAM, February 12, 2025** – A large black bear that had been terrorizing residents of Thelpara and nearby areas near Nilambur, Kerala, has been captured and relocated. The bear, a healthy male weighing over 200 kg, was trapped in a cage set up by forest officials in the courtyard of the Kurumba temple on Tuesday night.
Residents had reported increasing fear due to the bear’s frequent appearances, hindering daily life and damaging crops and property, including temple offerings. Children were afraid to go to school, and adults felt unsafe venturing outdoors.
Three cages were strategically placed by forest staff in response to the complaints. The bear was successfully captured in one of these traps. Following its capture, the animal was moved to the Nedumkayam forest station and subsequently released approximately 30 km deep within the forest.
Nilambur South Divisional Forest Officer G. Dhanik Lal stated that the bear is unlikely to return to the populated area. The successful capture and relocation marks the end of a period of anxiety for local residents.
First Piper 