In a scene straight out of a fairy tale (or a safety video gone wrong), an elderly woman has become the unlikely star of a viral video after being seen casually feeding a wild bear outside her hillside home.
The footage shows the bear sitting peacefully on its haunches while 82-year-old Kamla Devi offers it homemade chapatis and a bowl of sweetened milk — speaking to it softly in her local dialect as if it were a visiting relative.
“He comes in the evening,” she told reporters with a shrug. “Poor thing looks hungry. Why would I turn him away?”
The internet has erupted in disbelief and admiration, with some calling her “The Real-Life Mowgli’s Grandma” and others joking that the bear just came for her legendary cooking.
But wildlife authorities are not amused.
“This is extremely dangerous and highly discouraged,” warned Forest Ranger Suresh Thakur. “A wild bear is unpredictable. Feeding it not only puts lives at risk, but also conditions the animal to seek out human settlements, which often leads to conflict — and in many cases, the animal has to be relocated or euthanized.”
Local villagers say the bear, whom they’ve dubbed Bhalu Bhai, began visiting the area late last winter. But no one expected it to become a regular dinner guest — let alone receive room service from a fearless grandma.
When asked if she was ever scared, Kamla Devi simply smiled and said, “I’ve raised four sons. You think a bear scares me?”
Officials are now working with the family to install fencing and are urging residents not to feed wild animals, no matter how tame they may seem.
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