They took her away. All she had done was go into the city to get some food for our kids, and they captured her. I don’t know-how, or where she is. All I know is that I have to find her and bring her back. My kids have started asking me when Mom is going to return, and I can’t give them a reply. I feel horrible. I need to go to the city tomorrow.

………………

The sun rises, and I get up. I leave some fresh leaves and fish for my kids and start on my way. The jungle’s few trees have started withering due to the heat and lack of rain. The river near my den has dried up, and our tribe hardly gets water to drink.

As I walk slowly, paw after paw, the city comes into view. With its huge buildings, its noise, car horns, and pollution. All the walking has made me utterly exhausted, and yet I can’t stop worrying about her. Where is she? How is she? Did she have something to eat? I don’t know. All I can think of now is drinking some water, getting her back, and going back into our jungle.

I see a small pond near a house. There seems to be no one in it. I know I should not even go close to areas where humans live, but I am desperate. I go quietly, making sure not to disturb anyone, and I mean no harm. I sit down and lap up the water. It tastes like ambrosia…so good. My eyes drool. Just for some time, I can take a nap. For some time. Then I’ll find her. But as soon as I close my eyes, someone shouts “Bear!!! There is a bear in the Courtyard!!!”

I get up with a jolt. No, the humans have found me. They run towards me with sticks and one of them almost hits me. The nails of my paw instinctively go to the man’s face, coming back with something red on them. Blood. I didn’t mean to do that. So I run. The bad news is, they are running behind me.

I run as fast as I can, with people screaming, shouting, and clicking pictures. Flashes from many cameras blind my eyes, and I growl with frustration. I want to shout “I just want to find her!!” But they won’t understand. They keep chasing me, and I keep running. Through streets and alleys, until finally, I come to a dead end. They corner me…No, I think. I cannot give up. I stand on my hind paws and try to look intimidating. It works, and they fall back. But then I get hit. Someone strikes my skin with a rod, and something red gushes out. Blood. I see nothing else, but the pain stops.

“I’ll miss you,” I think, as someone screams to take my body away.
……………..

(Human perspective)

I watch television. “Bear captured and beaten to death by local people”. “Good for him”, I think. He killed two of our men!! Serves him right for it. We were just trying to protect ourselves, but he? He killed people!! He deserved it. Why did he have to come to our city anyways? He should have stayed in the jungle. It’s all his fault.

………………

Author’s note: So, this story idea struck me when I heard that a bear had strayed into my maternal village, and was captured. Please note, the bear was NOT beaten to death. I had to add the part about death to make people understand the seriousness of the situation. We have cut down jungles and razed them to the ground, and then we blame wild animals for coming into the city. It’s not their fault.