Karulayi: Pug marks of a bear were discovered on the roof of a car parked in the porch of a house near Mylambara, triggering concern among residents. Forest officials who inspected the marks confirmed that they were marks of the paws of a bear. The incident was reported from the house of Palengadan Abdulla.

The pug marks were found on a car parked within the premises of the house, which is located in a densely populated area. This is the first confirmed presence of a bear in the locality. Forest officials have advised residents, especially those stepping out for early morning walks or for activities like rubber tapping, to remain alert.

Acting on the directions of Nilambur South DFO G Dhanik Lal, a cage has been installed at Melambara to capture the bear. With this, the total number of cages set up in the Nilambur South Forest Division to trap bears straying out of forests has risen to two. The first cage was installed at Amarambalam TK Colony two weeks ago, but no bear has been captured in it yet.

Meanwhile, the animal was also reportedly spotted in the Antonykkadu area three days ago.