In a heartbreaking video that is making the rounds of the Internet, two bears can be seen searching for food in a temple of Chhattisgarh. As the nationwide lockdown continues in India, these sloth bears have lost their regular source of food.
Angry Bears Look For Food In A Dustbin
The upsetting video shows two hungry sloth bears, one rummaging through an empty dustbin in a temple premise in Chhattisgarh, while the other stands some distance away.
The bears seem to be dependent on food provided to them by devotees who visit the temple. However, due to the lockdown, temples are shut, and the bears are devoid of food.
Video from Chattisgarh
As temples are closed . Sloth bear dependent on prasad & food stuff given by devotees are now angry and looking for it in dustbin around temples. @pradeepifsmp@RandeepHooda @deespeak @minting99 @anilkumble1074 @BittuSahgal @ pic.twitter.com/qE9Z92kcv7— Arpit Mishra, MP Forest (@ArpitForest) April 13, 2020
The video was shared on Twitter by Arpit Mishra, an official in the forest department of Madhya Pradesh. Mishra explains that the sloth bears were dependent on the prasad and other foodstuffs offered by the devotees. With the lockdown in place, temples and all religious places have been shut, leaving the bears without a source of food and forcing them to search dustbins for something to eat.
Parveen Kaswan, another IFS official who also shared the video, emphasized that wild animals should not be provided with food.
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Many Animals Are Facing This Sorry Plight Due To The Lockdown
The video immediately went viral on the Internet and many expressed their sympathy towards the animals. However, many stray animals in the country are facing the same fate. Heavily dependent on locals for food and water, they have no food source left amid the nationwide lockdown. While Odisha Govt Sanctioned ₹ 54 Lakhs To Feed Stray Animals Amid Lockdown, the Delhi Govt. Issued Feeder Passes For Feeding Stray Animals During Lockdown.
Likewise, many citizen groups and NGOs in the country are also doing their bit to feed our furry friends!
Also Read: India’s First Isolation Facility For Animals Has Been Set Up In Uttarakhand’s Corbett National Park