A resident of Kyauk Sardai village under Rathedaung township was recently attacked by a bear in the Mayumountain range while he was lookingfor vine ropes to repair his houses damaged by cyclone Mocha.

The injured villager is identified as U Maung Nuchay (57 years old). He went to the mountain behind his villagealong with another villager, said his brother-in-law.

"All the houses in our village were destroyed by the cyclonic storm. They went to the mountain forests tofind vine ropes for use in damaged house repair. Maung Nuchay  sustained injuries in his eyes and elbows, but the other one could escape,” he added.

Maung Nuchay wasadmitted to Rathedaung township hospital immediately. Meanwhile, the attending doctors advised him to go to Sittwegeneral hospital to treathis  eyes and he was shifted on 31 May. It’s learnt that Maung Nuchaywas a hunter, and he is familiar with the area.

The local villagers informed that after the Mocha storm most of the forest fruit-trees in Rakhine Statewere uprooted. The wild animals, dependenton the forest fruits, now come to the villages looking for
their food.

On 27 May, U Maung Hla Gyi (70) from Dom pipe village under  Rathedaung township was trampled to death by awild elephant while he was going tohis paddy field, said a relative.

The villagers informed that the wild elephants, who used tograze in Mayu Taung range, now come to theresidential villages very frequently due tothe food scarcity.

"Now the elephants come to the nearby areas of villageslooking for their food. It hasincreased after the storm. During the night hours, the wild elephants regularly  reach the village,” added thevillagers.

Cyclone Mocha hit the Rakhine coastal region on 14 May and destroyed residential houses as well as many talltrees in the mountain forests. Ithas compelled the animals to come out looking for food.