Photo: ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP / Getty Images
A sloth bear killed a couple before devouring their bodies in a forested area of Panna, India.
Mukesh Rai and his wife Gudiya were walking towards their house when they saw the beast and were savagely attacked by the creature, as it ripped apart their bodies before feeding on the carcasses, Times of India reported.
Mukesh, of 43 years old, and Gudiya, of 39, attempted to engage the bear prior to the attack around 6:00 30 Sunday morning .
It is believed that the bear dragged their bodies into a river before taking a feast on them for more than four hours.
Then the policemen arrived on the scene and the officers took two more hours in quiet hoist and capture the beast.
The bear has been transported to a zoo and the couple’s dependents have received financial assistance equal to $5,000 dollars.
The division’s forestry officer, Gaurav Sharma, told DNA India: “The animal will not be released into the forest and we plan to send it to some zoo in another city.”
Sloth bears can grow to a staggering 6 feet tall and weigh up to 310 lbs.
Known to act aggressively towards humans when they feel threatened or scared.
A review of 2015 of the attacks in central India found that the victims suffered mainly injuries to the face and scalp, with sloths involved in 43 attacks analyzed.
Sloth bears are responsible for more deaths than polar bears or grizzlies and attacks can leave victims with their faces ripped off if they survive, and devouring their carcasses 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 are agile bears that can run faster than a human and will attack if surprised, with many survivors sustaining life-changing injuries.
They seem fearless, even the tigers back down in the clashes with this species.
Furry, dusty and careless, the sloth bear lives in the forests of South Asia.
Other similar attacks have been recorded in India such as the one that occurred in June 2018 when a man was savagely attacked by a bear after he confronted it for killing his partner.
Baipilli Urvasi, of 50 years old, and her husband Tirupathi Rao, of 55, were killed when the deadly beast pounced on them in an orchard in India.
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