‘JUST WAIT, I WILL BE BACK IN A MOMENT AFTER TAKING A SELFIE WITH THE BEAR’ WAS THE LAST WORD THE MAN SAID BEFORE THE BEAR MAULED HIM DEAD

There is a very thin margin between stupidity and bravery. Prabhu Bhatara, an Indian man, is an example of this. Photo: Local TV, Orissa, India. 

 

By LB THAPA

Would you like to get down from your vehicle, walk slowly and reach closer to a wild bear just to take a selfie with him? 

Perhaps, you would never do that, but not Prabhu Bhatara. Prabhu Bhatara took the bear for granted as he walked near the bear to take a selfie with him. 

This incident had actually taken place some time ago in south-western Orissa, India. Prabhu Bhatara, a driver by profession, was returning from Bolero, where a wedding ceremony had taken place. As soon as Prabhu’s van arrived in Kosagumuda block in Nabarangpur district Orissa, he spotted a bear, which was drinking water from the pond. 

Prabhu stopped his vehicle and threw a look at the bear then asked the passengers if they wanted to take some photos of the bear. However, the passengers refused and asked him to drive the van and move ahead instead. 

Leaving everyone flabbergasted, Prabhu got down from the van and very much like in ‘Man versus Wild’ style, and he approached the bear. Upon this, the passengers objected and asked him not to go nearby the bear. 

The dog is fighting off the bear while the passengers were busy making videos. 

‘Don’t worry. I will click a few photos of the bear and return…I will not take more time’ said Prabhu and began walking cautiously. From the edge of the pond, he clicked a few photos. Until then the bear was drinking water from the pond. 

Prabhu was not satisfied with the photos taken of the bear. He changed his mind and thought of taking a selfie with the bear. He began adjusting himself to take a selfie with the bear. 

When the passengers saw Prabhu trying to take a selfie with the bear, they warned him not to do such a silly thing and come back at once. However, their words fell on deaf ears. 

When Prabhu turned his back towards the bear and began zooming the beast, the wild bear turned furious and snarled loudly at Prabhu. From such unexpected behavior of the bear, Prabhu freaked out, lost his balance, and slipped from the edge. 

Crestfallen Prabhu was then within the striking distance of the bear. The extremely furious bear took Prabhu as its enemy and attacked him with his full strength. The bear dragged him up on the ground and began biting and pouncing him hard. 

The passengers were at loss as to what to do. They were shocked and stood confused for a while. No one from the passengers was ready to risk their lives to save the driver, who was trying to escape from the powerful jaws of the bear. 

The grizzly bear looked extremely furious as he was attacking the driver repeatedly. In the meantime, one of the passengers showed little courage and tried to scare off the bear but his effort turned futile. If the passengers had pelted stone at the bear and made a loud noise, most probably the bear might have left the driver. But many of them were busy shooting videos of the man who was fighting for his life and death. 

In the meantime, to everyone’s surprise, a stray dog appeared from nowhere and tried to bite the bear to save the life of the driver. After some frantic efforts, the dog gave up and walked away. 

According to the eyewitnesses, the bear was continuously attacking the driver even after he was dead. Later, forest police tranquilized the bear to get the dead body of the driver. 

According to the forest officers, the bear had some deep injury marks on his body. It is believed that those injuries might have made him so aggressive. 

LB Thapa is a Pokhara-based freelance writer and author. 

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