Wildlife SOS celebrates I-Day with rescued bears

The Wildlife SOS team at Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre marked Independence Day in a different way.

They celebrated the day with three bears — Balu, Bharathi and Bagya — who started their free life at the rescue centre and broke free from the life of dancing bears.

The celebrations kicked off with a flag-hoisting ceremony. To mark the ‘Rescue-versary’, the volunteers offered special tri-coloured treats to the bears. Volunteers from Larsen & Toubro Infotech (LTI) were also a part of the celebrations.

B K Singh, retired principal chief conservator of forests, said that human beings and nature share an unbreakable bond and damage to one will undeniably have its repercussions on the other.

Dr Arun A Sha, director — Research and Veterinary Operations, Wildlife SOS said, “Twelve years ago, we found Balu, Bharathi and Bagya in a pitiable state, living in fear and pain. Today, they are healthy and enjoying their new life in the company of other rescued sloth bears at our Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre. We wanted to show them exactly how special they are to us and how much we value and cherish the chance to be a part of their lives.”

Wildlife SOS’s greatest achievement has been successfully ending the exploitation of bears across India and rescuing over 600 sloth bears from illegal custody. The organisation brought about a permanent end to the centuries-old tradition of ‘dancing bears’ by creating alternative livelihoods and providing education to the people who earned a living from their exploitation. And now, they have a successful model in place for the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife. The organisation’s ‘Dancing Bear Rehabilitation Project’ was supported by The Ministry of Environment and Forests.