Uttarakhand schoolboy dragged into jungle by bear cub, classmate steps in

India Dec 22, 2025

At a Chamoli district school in Uttarakhand, 11-year-old Aarav Pundir was suddenly dragged into the jungle by a bear cub while students were cleaning up before class.
Showing real courage, his classmate Divya Chaudhary chased after them—screaming and running for nearly 100 meters until the bear let go.
Both kids were injured but are now recovering after being treated at a local hospital.

School switches to online classes as bear incidents rise

After this close call—and another recent bear scare at the same school—officials decided to move classes online for the next two days.
Sadly, Uttarakhand has seen more bear attacks lately, with eight deaths already this year.
Experts say changes in weather and shrinking habitats could be making bears wander closer to people than before.