BETTIAH, May 12 -- Panic gripped villagers after a bear strayed from the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) and was spotted roaming in the fields of Bagaha-2 block in West Champaran district, an official said. A police personnel posted at the Mahila Police Station in Bagaha-2 said he was taken by surprise upon seeing the bear near a complex that also houses the offices of the cyber and traffic police stations. "Soon after spotting the bear, the police personnel informed the forest department," said another police officer. He added that the bear later fled the area and hid in the nearby sugarcane fields. Locals reported that the bear had wandered through the main thoroughfare on the Sugar Mill-Semara road in Bagaha-2 before disappearing into the fields. Frightened farmers abandoned their work and rushed to safety following warnings raised by villagers who saw the animal. When contacted, Dr. Nesamani K, wildlife conservator and field director of the Valmiki Tiger Reserve, confirmed that forest teams had launched a combing operation to locate and guide the bear back to its natural habitat....