A Himalayan black bear that entered a household at a locality in Alipurduar late on Monday was rescued early on Tuesday.

The animal didn’t cause any harm as a 15-year-old boy showed great presence of mind and managed to confine it in a washroom.

Sources said that at 8pm, the bear strayed into Paglarhat, a village in Kumargram block. Some people saw it and gave it a chase. The scared animal entered the home of farmer Sunil Das.

Akash, Sunil’s son, was the only person at home. When he heard people yelling, he got alert and then saw the bear at home.

“Akash bolted the door of his room from inside. When the bear entered our washroom, he mustered up the courage to open the door. He tiptoed near the washroom and bolted its door from the outside,” said Sunil.

While the bear growled in confinement, Akash, a Class IX student, ran outside and informed his neighbours, who then alerted the forest range office of Kumargram.

But it took time to tranquillise the bear as the team had to find a space to shoot the dart at the animal inside the washroom. Amid hundreds of onlookers, foresters had to act cautiously.

Around 2am on Tuesday, foresters could dart the animal. It was then shifted to a cage. On Tuesday morning, the bear was released into the Buxa Tiger Reserve area.

“Kudos to the boy. Otherwise, the animal might have attacked people or been harmed,” said a forester.

In the last one month, foresters rescued around 15 bears in Alipurduar district, said sources. `

Elephant attack

Bablu Mirdha, 65, of Purba Khayerbari in Madarihat, Alipurduar, was trampled to death by an elephant on Monday night.