Chandil (Jharkhand):  A two-month old sloth bear cub was rescued Monday from a wildlife trader’s home in the eastern Indian Jharkhand state by a joint team of Forest Department and Widlife Trust of India. However, the trader escaped.

An arrest warrant has been issued against the trader, who is absconding. WTI has formally offered to rehabilitate the bear cub, currently in possession of the Forest Department.

WTI with its experience in rehabilitating rescued bears and releasing them into the wild has made a formal proposal to the Forest Department to  rehabilitate  the cub. WTI in  collaboration  with the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) initiated the Integrated Sloth Bear  Conservation Project to stop the capture  and performance of bears, provide veterinary aid and provide alternate livelihoods to Kalandars.

 Sloth bears have been traditionally used as means of livelihood by the Kalandar community, who train them as objects of entertainment. The canines of these animals are removed for safety of the handlers. Their noses are pierced with a red hot iron rod and a rope is inserted into the piercing to subordinate the animal.

The WTI, through a field informer came to know that  the trader had  recently acquired  the bear cub from the wild, and  was plann ing  to sell it to a Kalandar. It was also learnt that he was a regular bear trader and that he had been supplying bears to the Kalandars with three bear cubs being sold last winter.

Venkatesh Warlu, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) at Saraikhela, Kharsawa Division was informed by Dr Rakesh Kumar Singh of WTI, following which, he along with the Range Officer Asit Mookerjee, Forester Bodhno Ram and the Chandil Police raided the house of the suspect and rescued the cub. The cub is currently being kept  at a zoo.