Pakke, Arunachal Pradesh, 8 March 2021

Last week, Arunachal Pradesh forest department staff brought in two female bear cubs to the WTI – Centre for Bear Rehabilitation and Conservation (CBRC) on 12 February 2021.

These week old cubs were found by women from Wanu village inside the Wanu Community Reserve in Longding district Arunachal Pradesh. While collecting fuelwood inside the reserve, they heard the cries of the cubs and the Forest department was informed. The cubs were located on 9 Feb 2021 and monitored for a reunion with their mother by Tawang Wangsa Dy. Ranger of Ranglua range and his team of forest guards but unfortunately, the mother could not be traced.

The Forest department team had to travel around 400 km to reach CBRC. On reaching, the cubs were checked by Dr Panjit WTI Vet and Project Head without any delay, they are currently being hand-raised by a dedicated animal keeper at CBRC.

The cubs will undergo the set protocol of bear rehabilitation, with hand raising, weaning and acclimatisation through walking with keepers in the forest before they are fit to go back to the wild.

CBRC was established in 2002 by IFAW-WTI with Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department to provide food, shelter, veterinary care, and other rehabilitation measures to orphaned Asiatic black bear cubs until they are fit to be released back into their habitat. Since inception, CBRC has rehabilitated and released 43 bears till date.

With the generous support of Kirloskar Ebara Pumps Limited that came in at a critical time, facilities at CBRC have been upgraded and four bears are currently undergoing pre-release acclimatisation at two different sites within Pakke Tiger Reserve besides the two new born entrants.