PTI
 
Bhubaneswar, Jun 27: Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday asked the chief wildlife warden (CWW) to conduct an inquiry into the incident in which a pet bear in an ashram attacked Nuapada district collector on Sunday.

The Chief Minister directed the CWW to rush to the spot, conduct a probe and submit the report within a week.

Police said Nuapada district collector Pramod Chandra Pattnaik had visited the Gurukul Ashram in Amasena village with his family members.

The collector wanted to have a photograph with the pet bear kept in a cage.

However, the bear suddenly attacked the collector when he tried to take photographs. His personal security officer (PSO) opened fire at the animal and saved him. He was rushed to a local hospital and then shifted to another hospital in Vijayanagarm in critical condition.

Police said the pet bear had escaped from the ashram after being shot at by the PSO. However, the inmates of the ashram later managed to locate the animal and kept it in the cage.

Wildlife officials said the bear being classified as Scheduled 1 animal, no one was allowed to play or take photographs with the animal.