COIMBATORE: A bear attack on a guest worker in a tea estate on Saturday triggered panic among plantation labourers in the Valparai region.The injured has been identified as Dilwar Ali, 45. According to officials, a group of five workers travelled in a vehicle to the estate to carry out pesticide spraying work on tea shrubs. As they alighted from the vehicle and walked along a shortcut through the plantation, a bear hiding amid the thick tea bushes pounced on Ali, who sustained head injuries. Hearing his screams, the other workers raised an alarm, after which the bear retreated into the forest.The injured worker was rescued and rushed to Valparai Government Hospital, where he received emergency medical attention. He was later transferred to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.Forest department officials warned tea plantation labourers to remain vigilant and alert during working hours due to the active presence of bears in the vicinity.
