Mowgli
Year of arrival: 2017
Age at the time of arrival: 3 months old
Sex: Male
Personality traits: Mowgli, though quite sociable, has a funny way of greeting new visitors. He either charges at them for fun, or sneezes on them!
Facility: Agra Bear Rescue Facility (ABRF)
Favourite food: Honey-laced porridge
Favourite activities: Climbing trees, honey logs
Background: Mowgli was found struggling to feed from his dead mother, who had been electrocuted by poachers. He was just 10 weeks old then. Alone and defenceless, Mowgli would have to struggle to survive in the wild without his mother. The scared cub was rescued and brought to the Agra Bear Rescue Facility. Here, he received gentle care, and he has grown to become a healthy, stocky bear. Mowgli displays himself as the king of the centre – and is treated like one, too! | READ MORE ABOUT MOWGLI
MOWGLI'S STORY
In 2017, a barely three-month-old sloth bear cub was found next to the dead body of his mother outside the Sanjay-Dubri National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The mother, with the cub clinging to her back, had ventured out of the park in search of food when she was electrocuted by a high voltage wire that was set up by poachers. Her cub miraculously survived with minor electrical burns on his forehead and back.
The terrified cub was trying to take his feed from his deceased mother when he was found by forest officials. Their concern for his survival led the cub to Agra Bear Rescue Facility, where he was placed under care. Here, the little sloth bear was named Mowgli. His trauma was much too deep, but with time and patience, Mowgli started to trust his caregivers and veterinarians who were providing him with bottles of nourishing milk and lots of love.
Mowgli is often called the baby of the rescue centre because he is one of the youngest bears at Wildlife SOS centres. He is also the wildest at heart and the naughtiest, having grown up to be an interactive and playful bear.
Mowgli’s most preferred way of spending time is climbing trees, an activity he began to indulge in within the first few months of his arrival at the centre. He’s the happiest when he’s nestling against tree trunks, watching sunlight filter through the canopies. But here’s a word of caution: Mowgli spits out fruit seeds at anybody who disturbs his peaceful time!