Guwahati: The team at the Wildlife Trust of India’s (WTI) Centre for Bear Rehabilitation and Conservation (CBRC) in Arunachal Pradesh’s Pakke Tiger Reserve has been busy with the recent rescue of five Asiatic black bear cubs.
The cubs, rescued from various parts of Arunachal Pradesh, are now receiving specialized care at the CBRC, a collaborative effort between WTI, the state Environment and Forest Department, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), according to a report by The Arunachal Times.
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The team rescued two female bear cubs on May 2, after they were found near an agricultural field in Sitang village.
The Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary team responded promptly and relocated the cubs to a mini-zoo-cum-rescue center in Roing for temporary care. Authorities suspect that their mother fell victim to poaching.
On May 8, Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary Divisional Forest Officer Mito Rumi, Range Forest Officer Dr. Kabuk Lego, and other officials transferred the cubs to the CBRC for rehabilitation during a handover ceremony.
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Shortly after, the team received reports of three more bear cubs found in Tawang district.
The team discovered a male cub in Sherbang village and found two female cubs in villages within the Dudunghar circle.
The cubs were first spotted on April 17 by villagers gathering firewood.
The villagers had seen a mother bear with three cubs, but the mother disappeared soon after. The cubs wandered into neighboring villages, where well-meaning locals cared for them until authorities arrived.
Following the alert, the DFO of Tawang instructed officials to bring the cubs to the Lumla range, where they handed them over to the Forest Department.
On May 11, the authorities officially transferred the three cubs to the CBRC during a ceremony attended by Tawang DFO, RFO, and CBRC Head Dr. Panjit Basumatary.
There is hope that the cubs’ mother might still be alive in the area.
The CBRC team is now providing all five cubs with expert veterinary care and rehabilitation. Their ultimate goal is to prepare the cubs for reintroduction into the wild once they are capable of surviving independently.
“With the arrival of five new cubs, we’re increasing our efforts in nursing, rehabilitation, and scouting acclimatization sites,” said WTI ecologist Dr. Subhasish Arandhara.
“Our CBRC team, including keepers, veterinarians, and biologists, is fully dedicated to ensuring that these cubs are prepared for their return to the wild. We’re also monitoring the progress of the two cubs released earlier this year in March.”
Pakke Tiger Reserve DFO Satyaprakash Singh expressed gratitude for the community’s compassion, emphasizing the importance of collective efforts in ensuring the survival of wildlife.
Dr. Basumatary explained the rehabilitation process: “Bear cubs rely on their mothers for vital survival skills for the first 1.5 to 2 years. At CBRC, we mimic this process, including hand-raising, acclimatization, weaning, and regular forest walks with experienced biologists and keepers. This helps the cubs adapt to their natural environment.”
“Our ultimate goal is to reintroduce these cubs to the wild, giving them a second chance at life,” Dr. Basumatary added.