Man in India mauled to death after trying to take selfie with bear

How far would you go for a selfie with an animal?

For a man in Odisha, India, it meant creeping up on a bear in a forest with his mobile phone.

The encounter, however, did not end up well for Prabhu Bhatara. He was mauled to death by the wild animal.

Bhatara was on his way home from a wedding on Wednesday (May 2) when the SUV he was travelling in stopped near a forest.

The man was relieving himself in a bush when he spotted an injured bear.

Despite his fellow passengers' advice to leave the animal alone, Bhatara was determined to take a selfie with it.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg-mSCTDz3M[/embed]

As he approached the animal, it started to chase and attack him.

While Bhatara was mauled by the bear, few came to his rescue.

His fellow passengers were too busy filming the attack on their mobile phones, Hindustan Times reported.

In a video clip that is circulating online, another man could be seen trying to distract the angered animal.

A stray dog also tried to free Bhatara from the bear's claws but it did not succeed.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqEZOyVMxbs[/embed]

According to forest ranger Dhanurjaya Mohapatra, Bhatara died of his injuries at the scene.

The bear had to be tranquilised before officials from a forest station 10km away could retrieve the man's body.

The deceased's family reportedly received about 30,000 rupees (S$600) for his funeral rites.

Such man-animal conflicts are common in Odisha, Mohapatra told ANI, as they were often sparked by humans disturbing wild animals living in the forest.

Also read: India tops ranking for selfie deaths

minlee@sph.com.sg