Starved, abused and forced to live the agonising life of a dancing bear, Odom was confined to a life of exploitation and brutality, for nearly nine years. In 2009, he was rescued from a Kalandar family in Bellari, Karnataka and has been living under the care of the Wildlife SOS veterinarians at the Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Center, ever since.
His condition upon rescue was heart wrenching. Having been malnourished and poorly cared for as a cub; Odom was extremely small for his age and showing stunted growth. Under the watchful eyes of our dedicated vets and staff, Odom was able to receive proper care and treatment and has even gained a considerable amount of healthy weight.
Odom still bears the horrifying physical and emotional scars of his past having suffered terribly at the hands of humans. He is timid and wary of humans as well as the other bears in his enclosure. He prefers a solitary life for the most part and rarely interacts with the other bears. However, he does share a comfortable relationship with his keeper, who has been taking care of him since the day arrived at our center.
He spends his day digging up mud pits, foraging for insect mounds near the forested parts of his enclosure and taking afternoon naps in his hammock. His keepers have to make special structural enrichments to suit his needs as his stunted growth prevents him from enjoying the regular enrichments build for the other bears. He can often be seen playing with tyres, enrichment balls filled with peanuts treats or relishing honey logs. He has quite a sweet tooth and is fond of treats like honey and dates.
As it is the peak of summers in India, the bears are on a special diet and are also being given glucose infused water and electrolyte solution to stay hydrated. The most popular summer enrichment amongst our resident sloth bears however, is the frozen fruit popsicles and Odom too looks forward to slurping on chunks of frozen watermelon and muskmelon which are his favourite.
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