Forest officials have installed 35 CCTV cameras, placed two cages and deployed a dedicated guard team in Mungpoo near Darjeeling after repeated bear raids left residents fearful and livestock injured or killed over nearly a week.
The Darjeeling wildlife division acted after receiving multiple complaints from residents of the hill hamlet, located around 50 kilometres from Siliguri. The department is also using public address systems to warn people against venturing outdoors at night while teams monitor the animal’s movements.
Sources in the forest department said residents had reported that a bear was entering the village and attacking poultry and cattle. The residents claimed that around 30 animals, mostly goats, had been severely injured or killed over the past couple of weeks. They have sought compensation for the losses and urged the department to capture the animal at the earliest, according to the report.
Forest officials said footage from the newly installed cameras had confirmed that an adult bear was moving through the area. One cage has been placed on the premises of Darjeeling Hill University and the other in the Rambhi division. The department has not yet captured the animal.
The operation is being complicated by Mungpoo’s dense vegetation and its proximity to the forest fringes. The location lies close to the Senchal east range of the forest division, creating a setting in which monitoring and capture efforts must take place alongside inhabited areas, local institutions and livestock holdings.
“A dedicated team from the forest department has been deployed to closely monitor the area. Villagers have also been requested not to venture out at night as a safety measure,” an official said.
Mungpoo is a popular tourist destination in the Darjeeling hills, surrounded by cinchona plantations and other medicinal plants. The hamlet is also known for Rabindra Bhavan, which Rabindranath Tagore visited several times, and has a number of homestays and the Darjeeling Hill University.
The department’s response combines surveillance, trapping and public warnings rather than relying on a single capture point. The 35-camera network is intended to track the bear across the settlement, while the cages have been positioned at separate locations based on the reported movement of the animal.
For residents, the immediate concern remains night-time safety and the protection of poultry and cattle. The compensation request will also require the authorities to assess the reported losses. The forest department’s dedicated team is continuing to monitor the cameras and the locality while asking villagers to remain indoors after dark.
