By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
In the first fatal bear attack of the winter season in Uttarakhand, a woman was mauled to death by the wild beast in the Dugadda area of Pauri district on Saturday.
The incident triggered anger among villagers over what they alleged was the Forest Department’s failure to act despite repeated warnings about the presence of bears in the area.
The incident took place around 12.30 pm in Charekh village when Anjana Devi, an Anganwadi worker, went to the forest with some women to collect fodder. A bear suddenly attacked Anjana and began dragging her away. The women accompanying Anjana raised an alarm, forcing the beast to run away. The profusely bleeding woman was rushed to the Government Base Hospital in Kotdwar. However, doctors declared her brought dead due to severe injuries to her neck and abdomen.
The incident sparked anger among villagers, who alleged that the Forest Department had failed to take concrete preventive measures despite repeated complaints about the movement of two bears in the area.