TIRUMALA - A bear and her two cubs caused quite a stir recently when they were sighted in close proximity to the 1200th mettu darshan counter on the famed Tirumala Srivari Mettu pilgrimage route. The unexpected wildlife encounter ignited a wave of panic among the devotees present, leading to a hasty exodus from the area. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) staff, stationed at the darshan counter, promptly alerted the vigilance officials upon noticing the bear family. However, by the time the officials arrived on the scene, the bear and its cubs had made a swift retreat into the adjacent forest, evading any immediate contact. Further amplifying the commotion, several witnesses managed to capture footage of the rare incident on their mobile devices. This footage rapidly propagated across various social media platforms, bringing the unusual encounter to the attention of a broader audience.