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esidents of Pematang Buluh village, Betara district, West Tanjungjabung regency, Jambi, are being pestered by two male bears that have roamed around their village for the past couple of weeks. The bears prey on livestock and cooking oil belonging to residents.

Pematang Buluh village chief Kamaruddin said residents had caught the two bears eating chicken and cooking oil. They entered homes by prying open the kitchen door. “The bears ventured into human settlements because honey bees have moved to the Srensen area on the Jambi-Riau border. Bears can no longer obtain honey to eat,” Kamaruddin said on Wednesday.

He added that the two bears often appeared from night until the small hours of the next day.

“They are often seen crossing the village road,” said Kamaruddin, adding that the bears were a major nuisance, with 80 chickens disappearing over the last couple of months, and the bears becoming bolder in entering homes.

Local man Aka said he had once heard noise from his kitchen and saw a bear. He found two wooden boards pried off and immediately repaired the kitchen wall.