With the growing challenges wildlife faces today, conservationists must work across borders to protect vulnerable species. Both in-situ (within natural habitat) and ex-situ (outside natural habitat) conservation efforts are essential for safeguarding the animal world. Wildlife SOS is a key player in ex-situ conservation, providing sanctuary for wildlife that has endured cruelty and neglect. With over 150 bears in our care, including many elderly bears and bears with special needs, our team continually strives to expand its knowledge of bear welfare and care practices.
This year, we had the privilege of welcoming the Bear SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) team to our Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre (BBRC) in Bangalore, Karnataka. This partnership, which began last year with their visit to our Agra Bear Rescue Facility (ABRF), has grown into an invaluable knowledge-sharing collaboration. The Bear SAFE team, comprising animal keepers, veterinarians, and researchers from some of the most renowned zoos in the United States, spent nearly two weeks with us from November 5th to 17th, during which techniques in bear care that foster a compassionate, stress-free approach to bear handling were introduced.
The Bear SAFE Workshop Collaboration was a lively exchange of techniques, stories, and ideas between our staff and the visiting personnels. We were joined by 12 caretakers, veterinarians, and zoo curators from institutions like the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, Woodland Park Zoo, Little Rock Zoo, and Saint Louis Zoo. Together, the team and our caregivers worked to enhance protocols and introduce new methods in bear handling and training, especially for medical procedures, which are often stressful for the animals.
Enhancing Bear Care through Target Training
Target training, a method using positive reinforcement, is a cornerstone of Bear SAFE’s approach to animal handling. By guiding our bears to respond to cues without tranquilisation, the training helps reduce stress during medical procedures and eliminates the need for sedation or restraint. The Bear SAFE team worked closely with Wildlife SOS’s caregivers to refine this process and introduce new cues, making it easier to perform essential procedures.
- Side Body Presentation
One remarkable technique shared was the side body presentation, an innovative cue that allows geriatric bears to lie comfortably on their sides. This position helps veterinarians to perform ultrasounds and general body check-ups without requiring the bears to stand or sit on their hindlimbs, which can be taxing for bears with arthritis or other mobility issues. This cue was especially beneficial for bears like Odum, whose age-related limitations and short stature make it difficult for him to maintain certain postures.
- Teeth Brushing
While many of our bears had already learned the “open mouth” command to allow us to inspect their teeth, Bear SAFE introduced a new practice: teeth brushing. This isn’t just about cleanliness, but also serves as a tool for assessing dental health. It provides our veterinarians with insights into the state and sensitivity of each bear’s teeth based on the reactions the bears give on having their teeth brushed, which helps us to better address oral health issues common in rescued bears.
- Rectal Temperature and Vaginal Swab Collection
Another valuable skill introduced by the Bear SAFE team was desensitising the groin region of resident bears through a process that allows our veterinarians to perform essential health checks like taking rectal temperatures or collecting vaginal swabs. Rectal temperatures provide the most accurate assessment of a bear’s core body temperature, which is crucial in monitoring health, especially for geriatric bears. Meanwhile, vaginal swabs are non-invasive tests that can help detect infections or other health issues in female bears.
Training for this procedure takes place in the constructed dens that have protective mesh for safe interactions. It begins by encouraging the bear to sit comfortably on its haunches, with its hindquarters tilted forward for better access. The bear’s forelimbs hold onto the protective mesh, while its hind legs splay to the sides, creating a stable, relaxed posture. This position allows caregivers to gently perform necessary medical procedures without causing undue stress or discomfort.
- Eye Desensitisation
The Bear SAFE team also introduced a new cue focused on eye desensitisation, helping bears become accustomed to gentle touches around their face and eyes. This skill is invaluable for treating eye-related ailments and performing injury dressings around the sensitive face area, which can often be distressing for bears if they’re unaccustomed to it.
The process involves gradually conditioning the bears to remain calm when their caregivers gently touch areas near their eyes and face. Through patient, consistent training, caregivers help each bear feel comfortable with facial contact, enabling easier administration of eye drops, ointments, or bandages if needed.
- Target Training for Blind Bears
Target training is a time-intensive and complex process that relies heavily on the bear’s ability to follow visual cues, usually by tracking a target stick. While this approach is effective for most bears, it poses unique challenges for those with impaired vision or blindness. At BBRC, some of our geriatric bears, like Devi and Percy, face visual impairments that make traditional target training techniques unfeasible. These bears still require regular medical treatments, but their inability to follow visual cues has limited the range of interactions and care techniques we could use with them—until now. By gradually associating different touch gestures with different cues, the team was able to teach these bears essential commands like “open mouth” and “present arm”, which are crucial for non-invasive medical exams.
The success of these techniques hinges on a strong bond between caregiver and bear. The Bear SAFE team emphasised the importance of patient, trust-building interactions, teaching our caregivers to adapt training sessions to each bear’s individual temperament and attention span. If a bear seems eager, the session might extend a bit longer; if not, caregivers end the session with a big treat, ensuring a positive experience. This approach helps the bears stay engaged and encourages them to participate willingly in future sessions.
From a Bear’s Point of View
One of the highlights of the Bear SAFE team’s visit was a unique exercise designed to put our caregivers in the shoes, or “paws”, of our rescued bears. In this game, caregivers were divided into pairs, with one person acting as the trainer and the other as the bear. Saying “yes” for correct actions and being silent for incorrect ones were the cues the “trainer” could use to guide their “bear” partner to perform specific movements and positions. This hands-on exercise offered our caregivers invaluable insight into the target training process from the bear’s perspective.
Through this role reversal, caregivers understood the patience and precision required to guide a bear to the desired posture using limited cues. They also gained a firsthand appreciation for the trust and cooperation that the training demands from the bears. By experiencing the process in a similar way that their animal counterparts do, caregivers could better empathise with the challenges their bears face and refine their own methods to be more effective. The game served as a powerful reminder that successful training is as much about understanding the animals perspective as it is about mastering the training techniques.
Just like last year, this visit by the Bear SAFE group also brought with it new skills and insights into bear care that enhances the work that we do with the bears. By welcoming knowledge from global experts, we continue to build a more compassionate and effective model for bear rehabilitation. The ongoing relationship with the Bear SAFE team reminds us that while the work of conservation is challenging, collaborative efforts bring out fresh energy and hope to our collective cause.
Exploring In-situ Conservation at Ramdurga
As part of their visit, the Bear SAFE team had the opportunity to experience in-situ conservation work that Wildlife SOS is doing in the Ramdurga Valley of Karnataka. Camping at our field station, the team explored this remarkable landscape, which was once arid and barren, and became a focal point of our habitat restoration efforts. The visit began with a tour of the iconic features of the valley, including the tranquil Ramdurga Lake nestled behind the field station and the strikingly balanced rock formations that serve as key habitats for sloth bears. Along the way, the team spotted subtle signs of the valley’s residents—sloth bear scat and claw marks as scratches left on tree trunks.
To deepen their understanding of our conservation work, the team embarked on a night trail as well through the wilderness. They observed the monitoring tools we use to protect the region’s wildlife, such as camera traps strategically placed throughout the landscape. The trail offered them a glimpse into the nocturnal world of Ramdurga’s wildlife and the intricate work involved in tracking and conserving these species. This visit showcased the connection between habitat restoration and species conservation, offering the Bear SAFE team a closer look at the vital in-situ efforts that complement Wildlife SOS’s ex-situ work.
As we implement the new techniques and insights gained during this visit across all our bear rescue centres, we are eager to continue these invaluable collaborations. Future exchanges with the Bear SAFE team and other like-minded conservation partners will only strengthen our collective mission to build a better, safer world for wildlife. If you would like to be a part of such a collaborative mission, you can connect with us by email at info@wildlifesos.org. Your support enables us to continue these vital exchanges and provide the best possible care to our animals.
