A teenager was attacked recently by a bear in Surla village. This was indeed shocking and unfortunate. I wish her a speedy recovery. I was oblivious to the presence of bears in Goa. So the incident has also created some excitement in me. Just as mendicants are found to be moving about from door to door with a cow or ‘Naandi,’ likewise in the past some would move with a bear.
I would give the bear-able guys some money. But not before I played a bit with the bear. In my travels in Goa I have encountered a civet, a black panther, anteater and otters which I previously thought existed only in foreign countries. In the popular classic book, ‘The Count of Monte Christo,’ I remember reading that if attacked by a bear it is advisable to fall to the ground and pretend to be dead.
The above advise though is easier said than done. In a panic situation the first reaction is to either fight or flee. In fact, in the recent bear attack the errant teacher in the news lately would have found himself aptly placed to stave off the bear which attacked the victim with his weapon of choice, a mop!
