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Man trying to take selfie with bear is mauled to death

A man in India trying to take a selfie with a wounded bear was mauled to death by the animal as his friends recorded the incident on their cellphones, according to the Hindustan Times.

Prabhu Bhatara, who had attended a wedding Wednesday in Kotapad, was returning to Papadahandi with friends in an SUV, the newspaper reported.

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The group stopped in the Nabarangpur district of Odisha so Bhatara could use a restroom. He then spotted an injured bear and decided to click a selfie, the Times reported.

Friends tried to dissuade Bhatara from taking the photo, but he continued to approach the bear. The animal chased Bhatara and then fatally mauled him. A stray dog tried to fight the bear but could not distract it, forest officials said.

“Bhatara died on the spot,” forest ranger Dhanurjaya Mohapatra told the Times.

As Bhatara was being mauled, his friends recorded the incident but did not attempt to rescue him, forest officials said.

Forest officials recovered Bhatara’s body later in the day after tranquilizing the bear, the Times reported.

“The bear is being treated for its injuries,” Mohapatra said.