HImalayan Black Bears released in the wild

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The hand-reared Asiatic black bears explore their natural habitat during

their 'assisted release'

 

*Five Asiatic black bears return to the wild*

 

*Pakke (Arunachal Pradesh), July 14, 2008:* Within a year of the successful

rehabilitation of two hand-reared Asiatic black bears (*Ursus thibetanus*),

the Centre for Bear Rehabilitation and Conservation (CBRC) has released

another batch of five in Pakke Tiger Reserve in the northeastern Indian

state of Arunachal Pradesh.

 

The bears, hand-reared at the CBRC, were undergoing acclimatisation in the

wild at Upper Dikarai since September last year.

 

Following the soft-release protocol known as " assisted release " , the bears

were taken for daily walks in the wild assisted by their caretaker

or 'surrogate mother'. While the animals were encouraged to feed on their

natural food, their diet was also supplemented with concentrate food at the

deep forest camp where they spent the nights. Initially, the bears returned

to their temporary enclosure for the night, but gradually they began to rest

outdoors, indicating signs of independence. As the wild instinct took over,

the bears detached themselves from their caretaker, and began exploring the

forests on their own.

 

 

The cubs learn to live in the wild

 

Says NVK Ashraf, director, Wild Rescue Programme of the Wildlife Trust of

India (WTI), " There are four crucial dates in any animal rehabilitation

programme of this kind: their first walk in the wild, the first night they

spent outside the enclosure, the first time they are left alone during the

day and finally the day the walker stops accompanying them. "

 

Tamo Dadda, field officer, WTI, based at CBRC recalled, " The bears had begun

showing reluctance to return to the camp at night after a few months from

their first walk. Since April 2008, all but one spent their nights outside

their enclosure in the camp, choosing to rest on the trees as they do in the

wild. During their walks they foraged on leaves, shoots of bamboo, wild

fruits, barks of various tree species and termites. "

 

 

The bear cubs display their innate omnivorous behavior

 

" The five bears are not all of the same age and obviously not all became

independent at the same time. Their release date was finalised only after we

were satisfied that each one of them was capable of surviving on their own, "

said Ashraf.

 

The bears were radio-collared on June 24. Yaduraj Khadpekar, veterinarian,

Mobile Veterinary Service (MVS) Arunachal Pradesh, said, " They are now being

monitored by the keepers who are still at the camp. The bears have not

returned to the camp but haven't ventured very far either. "

 

" The radio-collars are fitted to provide six to eight months of post-release

monitoring data. The collar drops off by the eighth month, before it becomes

too tight, by which time the bear is mature enough to survive on its own, "

added Ashraf.

 

Found in sub tropical and Himalayan forests (1200 to 3300 metres)along the

Indian sub-continent, the Asiatic black bear is listed under Schedule I of

the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The species is threated by habitat

degradation, intense human-animal conflicts in northern India

and hunting for food and for other cultural uses along the north-east

Indian states. The bears are also endangered by poaching for their gall

bladder used in extracting medicinal bile for Traditional Chinese

Medicine.

 

The CBRC was established to rehabilitate Asiatic black bear cubs orphaned by

poachers or rescued from villagers. This is a joint venture of the

Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and its

partner, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

 

The CBRC situated on the western bank of Pakke River can hold up to 16 bears

and provides temporary refuge for rescued cubs. Villagers in Arunachal

Pradesh, unaware of the bear's conservation status, traditionally hunt

it for its meat, skin and other body parts. There have been efforts to

control this practice but it is still prevalent. Bear cubs are often taken

home from the forest by villagers, to be kept as pets and handed over to the

forest department when they become a liability, as they approach adulthood.