Bear cubs admitted for long term rehabilitation

Kokrajhar (Assam), April 15, 2011: Two displaced Asiatic black bear cubs were admitted to the CWRC (Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation) Transit Home in Kokrajhar earlier this week. As with 11 bear cubs successfully rehabilitated in northeast India previously by IFAW-WTI, the cubs will be hand-raised and soft-released back in the wild.

The cubs were brought to the Bodoland Territorial Council-International Fund for Animal Welfare-Wildlife Trust of India (BTC-IFAW-WTI) run wildlife transit home after they were confiscated by the Assam Forest Department officials from villagers who picked them up assuming that they were abandoned by the mother. Barely a month-old, the cubs, a male and a female, were reportedly found by locals about two weeks ago in the forests of Dhansiri division near a tri-junction of Bhutan, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

“No animal will abandon her young ones, unless she has herself been killed, or disturbed till driven away,” says Dr NVK Ashraf, Chief Veterinarian, WTI. “There have been numerous cases of young ones left alone in the forest with the mother probably foraging or hunting being picked up by villagers. This results in forced separation and needs to be tackled through education and awareness at the grass-root level.”

The cubs are currently at the Transit Home, looked-after by IFAW-WTI veterinarian Dr Panjit Basumatary and his team of experienced animal keepers.

The two rescued Asiatic black bear cubs

“When we brought the cubs here first, they were dehydrated and weak, but otherwise healthy. The cubs have now recovered and are stable. They are being bottle-fed now; soon we will start giving them solid food,” said Dr Basumatary.

The long-term rehabilitation of the cubs will entail hand-raising, identification of a suitable release site, prolonged acclimatisation at the release site, radio-collaring and eventual release.

Five Asiatic black bear cubs are currently undergoing acclimatisation in their release site in Pakke Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh. The cubs were hand-raised at the Centre for Bear Rehabilitation and Conservation (CBRC), Pakke TR.