Sloth bear mauls couple to death ‘ripping their bodies apart’ before spending four hours feasting on their flesh

A SLOTH bear mauled a couple to death before devouring their bodies in a horror forest killing. Mukesh Rai and his wife Gudiya were walking home through a wooded area in Panna, India, when they spotted the beast. AlamyA sloth bear mauled a couple to death in India[/caption] The unsuspecting pair were then savaged by the creature as it tore their bodies apart before feeding on the carcasses, reports Times of India. Mukesh and Gudiya, aged 43 and 39 respectively, reportedly attempted to confront the bear before the brutal attack at around 6.30am on Sunday. The bear is understood to have dragged their bodies towards a river before feasting on them for more than four hours. Cops then arrived on the scene and it took officials a further two hours to tranquilise and capture the beast. Read more from India GATE TRAGEDY Horror moment boy, 8, killed after heavy metal gate falls on him while playing CROC SNATCH Boy, 14, punches croc to escape after beast tried to drag teen to his death The bear has been transported to a zoo and the couple’s dependents have been given financial assistance of 400,000 Rupee (£4,000). Divisional Forest Officer Gaurav Sharma told DNA India: “The animal will not be released in the forest and we plan to send it to some zoo in another city.” Sloth bears can grow up to a staggering 6ft tall and weigh up to a scale-busting 310 pounds. They are known to act aggressively towards humans when they feel threatened or startled. Most read in The Sun NO IFS NO BUTTS Changes to smoking law & cost could be unveiled TODAY - teens face life ban NOT A LOTTO! UK's record £184m lottery winners make first big purchase - a £38k used Volvo HAZZA GO Harry ‘wants APOLOGY & is furious' at his treatment during Jubilee, says expert MILA-NO! Flight warning - top holiday spot hit by airline strikes causing delays GEM-AZING Inside Love Island star Gemma's £4m mansion where she lives with dad Michael Owen HOL-D OFF BA pilot reveals when NOT to go on holiday this year - and it's not good news A 2015 review of attacks in central India found victims mostly suffered injuries to their faces and scalps, with sloth bears involved in 48 attacks analysed. The sloth bear is responsible for more fatalities than polar bears or grizzlies and attacks leave victims with their faces torn off if they survive – and having their corpses eaten if they don’t. The name ‘sloth bear’ is extremely misleading as they share few traits with the sloth, to whom they are not related. They’re agile bears that can run faster than a human and will attack if surprised, with many survivors suffering life-changing injuries. They appear fearless, with even tigers backing down in confrontations with the sharp-clawed beasts. Shaggy, dusty and unkempt, the sloth bear lives in the forests of South Asia. These are some of the worst attacks at the paws of sloth bears. It comes after terrifying footage showed the moment a man was savaged by a rampaging bear after he attacked it for killing a couple. Read More on The Sun HI, KY! Kylie shows off her REAL post-baby body in pink jeans in unedited snaps MELLOW THE YELLOW I’m a laundry expert - the quick way to remove sweat stains from clothes Baipilli Urvasi, 50, and her husband Tirupathi Rao, 55, were mauled to death when the deadly beast pounced on them in an orchard in India. Villagers went on to attack the brown bear and, in a video reminiscent of the Leonardo  DiCaprio film The Revenant, the enormous animal could be seen fighting back. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun news desk? Email us at exclusive@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4104. You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours Click here to get The Sun newspaper delivered for FREE for the next six weeks.