Bhubaneswar, May 6: A team of tranquillising experts from Bhawanipatna was today stationed at Kotpad block in Koraput to alleviate fear among the residents and prevent further bear attacks.

A wild bear killed eight persons in villages around the block in the last two days before being beaten to death by a mob. The tranquillising team arrived in the area while chief conservator of forests (wildlife) Harish Kumar Bisht reached Kotpad to take stock of the situation.

State mass education minister Rabi Narayan Nanda paid the nearest kin of each of the eight deceased Rs 2 lakh as compensation at Kotpad in the presence of Nowrangpur MP Pradip Majhi.

Bisht, who visited the affected villages, said that anger among the people had subsided, but an element of fear was still there.

“There are some bear still living in the forests, but they are not creating any problems at the moment,” said the officer. He added that wildlife officials armed with tranquillisers would stay put in the area for about a week as a precautionary measure. Besides, an awareness drive had been launched in the area and people were asked not to venture into the forests.

Sources said that Bisht, who was accompanied by a Koraput district administration officials, was also trying to find out why the bear behaved in such an aggressive manner.

There were rumours that the female bear turned ferocious after the people killed its cub. Bisht is expected to submit his report to forest and environment minister Bijayshree Routray in two days.