A day later, forest officials launched an operation to rescue the sloth bear. (Representational iamge)A woman and four men were injured following an attack by a sloth bear in a Palanpur village of Banaskantha district on Tuesday. The victims were stable and recovering at a hospital, Deputy Conservator of Forests P G Gardi said on Wednesday.The incident was reported from Hasanpura village near Palanpur, on the border of the Balaram-Ambaji Sanctuary in North Gujarat, on Tuesday morning. A day later, forest officials launched an operation to rescue the sloth bear.Gardi said the village was situated next to the sanctuary, and sloth bear sightings were common in the region. “The bear had injured one person. The other four were injured when they went to rescue him. As a crowd of around 300 gathered at the spot, the bear went into the jungle. The forest department has deployed its teams to rescue the sloth bear,” he observed.“We visited the injured at the hospital, and no one is critical,” Gardi added.One of the injured individuals is a woman, and the rest are men.“It is an undulating area. Our rescue teams have been deployed in the region for continuous monitoring. We have spoken with the village sarpanch while also alerting the villagers. We have also started the process to compensate the injured persons. Currently, the bear is in the Balaram-Ambaji Sanctuary,” the DCF added.Each of the forest teams has four personnel, who were keeping a round-the-clock vigil in the area.Story continues below this ad“Rescue teams are on standby. They will move in with tranquilisers as soon as they get confirmation of the bear’s location,” Gardi said.According to Gardi, a probe into the attack was underway since bears are not known to be aggressive at this time of year.“Generally, April-May is the mating period for sloth bears, and December-January-February is the period when they give birth. And this is not either of the periods. The bear attack is a rare case [in this season]. An investigation is on to see if the bear was provoked,” he added.The area adjoining the sanctuary is part of the sloth bear corridor in north Gujarat.Story continues below this adIn March 2017, a forest official and two others were killed when a new mother bear attacked them near a village in Banaskantha, which is part of Jessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary. Following the incident, forest and police officials killed the animal after a failed capture attempt.According to the department’s 2022 sloth bear survey, the animal population is estimated at 358 in the state. It is a protected species under a Central law. Parimal A Dabhi works with The Indian Express as Chief of Bureau, focusing on the state of Gujarat. Leveraging his seniority and access, Dabhi is recognized for his reporting on the complex interplay of law, politics, social justice, and governance within the region. Expertise & Authority Core Authority (Social Justice and Law): Dabhi is a key source for in-depth coverage of caste-based violence, discrimination, and the state's response to social movements, particularly those involving Patidar, Dalit and OBC communities. His reporting focuses on the societal and legal fallout of these issues: Caste and Discrimination: He has reported extensively on social boycotts and instances of violence against Dalits (such as the attack on a Dalit wedding party in Patan), the community's demands (like refusing to pick carcasses), and the political responses from leaders like Jignesh Mevani. Judicial and Legal Affairs: He tracks significant, high-stakes legal cases and judgments that set precedents in Gujarat, including the convictions under the stringent Gujarat Animal Preservation Act (cow slaughter), 2002 Gujarat riots and developments in cases involving former police officers facing charges of wrongful confinement and fake encounters. Political and Administrative Oversight: Dabhi provides essential coverage of the inner workings of the state government and the opposition, ensuring a high degree of Trustworthiness in political analysis: State Assembly Proceedings: He frequently reports directly from the Gujarat Assembly, covering Question Hour, discussion on various Bills, debates on budgetary demands for departments like Social Justice, and ministerial statements on issues like illegal mining, job quotas for locals, and satellite-based farm loss surveys. Electoral Politics: His work details key political developments, including election analysis (voter turnout records), party organizational changes (like the end of C R Patil’s tenure as BJP chief), and campaign dynamics. ... Read More Tags:ahmedabad