On their way home from Khermai temple, Mukesh Rai and his wife Gudiya, aged 43 and 39 respectively, were attacked by a sloth bear in Madhya Pradesh.They are believed to have stuck together while confronting the bear together.

“The incident occurred in Khermai area, some one-and-half kilometres from the district headquarters, at around 6.30 am. The couple, identified as Mukesh Thakur (50) and Indira Thakur (45) from Raniganj area here, had gone to offer prayers at a temple. The staff which reached the spot found the bear eating the corpses part by part over a period of time," said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Gaurav Sharma.

“We informed Panna Tiger Reserve teams as well. The bear was caught post tranquillisation and the bodies of the couple have been recovered. The animal will not be released in the forest and we plan to send it to some zoo in another city," he added. He said financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each will be provided to the kin of the deceased.

They allegedly died while fighting the bear together, According to locals, the bear tore their bodies apart before feeding on the carcasses. Five hours after the incident, the bear was captured, locals said.