Man arrested after fleeing with bear

ORISSA, India, June 20 (UPI) -- An Orissa, India, man has been arrested after he allegedly went on the run with his pet bear after local officials threatened to take it, police said.

Police said Ramesh Munda was arrested on charges of violating wildlife laws after days of evading police and wildlife authorities, but the female sloth bear, Rani, has continued to elude capture, Britain's The Telegraph reported Friday.

"Munda was arrested and forwarded to court," a local wildlife official said. "But our officials could not rescue the bear. Munda's village lies adjacent to the forests and a search is on to trace the bear."

Munda said Rani followed him home when she was two months old and had foiled several attempts to release her into the wild. He said she lived with the family and slept alongside his 3-year-old daughter.

Police said Munda went on the run with the bear after officials ordered him to turn Rani over to a local zoo.