A sloth bear that triggered panic among residents of Manathavady municipality and Edavaka, Vellamunda and Panamaram grama panchayats under the North Wayanad Forest Division for the past four days was driven away to the Neykuppa forest in South Wayanad Forest Division on Wednesday midnight.
The animal was first sighted in a human habitat at Puthiyodom near Payyampilly and Valliyurkavu areas under the Mananthavady municipality on January 21 night, and the very next day, the animal was sighted at Peechomkode and Thonicchal areas in Edavaka grama panchayat.
Later, it was found in a paddy field at Tharuvana in Vellamunda grama panchayat, and Forest department officials tried to capture the animal after tranquilising it. But the effort proved futile.
