Pakke, Arunachal Pradesh, 14 September 2020:

Wildlife Trust of India with the support of IFAW, Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department and Kirloskar Ebara Pumps Ltd., recently admitted two orphaned Asiatic black bear cubs, to the rehabilitation centre at Pakke, Arunachal to prepare them before they go back to the wild.

The IFAW-WTI keepers identify them as Loki and Hela. Loki, a curious male cub made friends with Hela a female in July. Together, they wrestle and play all day long. They are only six months old now but they are already two and a half feet tall and can play mischievous tricks on their keepers at the Centre for Bear Rehabilitation and Conservation (CBRC). Their friendship is a bond that will be vital for their survival in their journey back to the wild. Their lives have been far from ordinary, as they were found orphaned in separate incidents, one in Arunachal Pradesh and one in Assam, and both were rescued in the midst of a global pandemic.

Loki, was found alone on a field in old Dekapam village in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh by a farmer soon after the onset of the COVID19 pandemic on the 30^th of March. The farmer informed the range office at Seijosa of the state forest department of Arunachal, who conveyed the call to the IFAW-WTI team in Pakke. On receiving the call, the response of the CBRC wildlife veterinarian Dr Madhurjya Borah was to carefully instruct the farmer on how he could take care of the bear cub at his house till the cub could be securely brought to the facility.

This was necessary as the required permissions and documents took almost a month to be processed as all government offices were closed due to the prevailing pandemic. Once it was completed, a dedicated small team from CBRC comprising Ayushman Singh (Asst Field Officer WTI), Dr Borah and Amar (Forest Guard), set on a journey driving 1000 kms in 24 hours from Seijosa to the village of old Dekapam. When they arrived, they saw that the bear cub was doing excellently under the care of the farmer. The WTI-IFAW team took this opportunity to have an impromptu session with the assembled villagers on the protocols to follow if they come across any stranded, distressed wildlife in the area.

Loki was safely brought on a long journey to his new nursery at WTI CBRC, Pakke. Loki was so used to his human family, that he struggled to be left alone in his nursery. There were a few lonely cries and sudden fits of anger for the first two weeks as he adjusted to his new way of life. A cuddling bear toy made of natural burlap was introduced to help him cope with his new situation, which he ended up ripping apart within a day. He gradually learnt to be alone and entertain himself. The veterinarian kept a close eye during this initial period and treated a few dental problems he had developed over time. He defended his territory by mock fighting his keeper during feeding time. Sometimes, he would splash around in the water and flip the entire tub upside down.

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Hela, on the other hand was a beautiful female bear cub rescued from the Patgaon Forest Village under the Ratanpur Beat of West Kamrup Forest Range in Assam on 26^th March 2020. The Range Forest Officer, Kushal Das of Kamrup West Division kept her in the range office during the lockdown. Mr Das knew that Hela was strong and well suited for a life in the wild. He did everything he could to ensure she was safe during the lockdown and could be transported to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) at Kaziranga. The CWRC team led by veterinarian Dr Samshul Ali was able to successfully take care of the cub at the wildlife rescue centre in Kaziranga until the permissions for moving the bear to Pakke were acquired. Finally, after receiving the necessary transportation permission amidst the pandemic and lockdowns, Hela was moved to CBRC in August to join Loki.

On 26^th August 2020, Loki and Hela met for the first time. The nursery was partitioned initially to avoid conflict and territorial fights that could occur. On their first meeting Hela growled and snarled, while Loki climbed the walls in fear. It was clear that Hela was the dominant one, but Loki would often manage to steal her food once in a while, a behavior often observed in adult bears too. A few days later, their fights turned extremely playful and soon they are inseparable buddies.

Loki and Hela’s companionship is a crucial step for a successful rehabilitation. In a few months they will be taken back to the forest where they will spend months with their keepers to acclimatize to the wild. They will be taken on long trails around the forest learning how to forage for the right fruits and leaves. They will be shown crabs and fish and taught that they can hunt for themselves. Loki and Hela will follow their keepers until they are not dependent on them for food. Once they learn to fend for themselves, they will walk away and live a life in the wild. The tale of Loki and Hela is an extraordinary one made possible by teams that went against all odds to ensure they return to where they belong.

IFAW – WTI Centre for Bear Rehabilitation and Conservation at Pakke is supported by Kirloskar Ebara Pumps Ltd., and the Arunachal Forest Department. Since its establishment in 2002, CBRC has managed to release 26 such orphaned bear cubs back to the wild.

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– Tanaya Nair, the author of this article, is a student beginning her career in wildlife research and is currently engaged with the Communications Division at WTI. She is most herself when she is looking for birds in a forest, hovering over a coral reef or painting them on large canvases.