| Escaping a brush with death |
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A fall down a thirty-feet-deep uncovered well would certainly have spelt doom for this Striped Hyena if not for the quick thinking of residents of a village in Agra. Due to the sensitive nature of this rescue, it took over three hours to safely extricate the hyena from its predicament!
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WATCH THE VIDEO TO FIND OUT MORE
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There is much more to the hyena than the sinister cackle that has been immortalised through pop culture. Being some of the most underrated species in the world, mythology and superstition have certainly not been a friend to these animals!
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Man-animal conflict - often stemming from ignorance and false beliefs - poisoning, habitat destruction, hunting and poaching for body parts are just some of the threats faced by this elusive species. It deserves more conservation attention as the hyena's survival is crucial for a healthy, well-balanced ecosystem to thrive!
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#wsos #wildlifesosindia #savingindiasanimals #stripedhyena #agra #up #hyenasofindia #instaanimal #wildanimalsofinstagram #instawildlife #conservation #awareness #rescue
For every elephant we rescue, their caregiver plays a pivotal role in the long journey of healing they undertake. These caregivers act as the first and most important cornerstone for the pachyderm, especially in a new world with unfamiliar faces.
Each of our elephants forms an immensely strong bond with their caregiver - and trusts them to always remain by their side. For our caregivers, every single moment revolves around making the lives of the animals they care for more comfortable.
When an elephant falls sick, the caregiver sleeps by its side, regardless of the weather. When an elephant passes away due to health or age related issues, their caregivers are inconsolable. Every day, these brave men share much more than their expertise in animal care - they share their lives and souls.
"Rhea and Mia are not just elephants for me, but my life. They can understand me just as well as I understand them, and I cannot imagine what I would do when I'm not by their side," says the duo's caregiver, pictured here. He always hides treats such as peanuts, dates and coconut shavings inside his bag, always delighted when Rhea's curious trunk dives in to grab some!
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#elephants #elephantcarestaff #wsos #wildlifesosindia #asianelephants #staffatwsos #rhea #mia #savingindiaselephants #conservation #rehabilitation #rescue #instaelephant #elephantsofinstagram #instawildlife
Swooping in to the rescue of a Black Kite!. The Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit received a distress call regarding a black kite that had been found immobile in a garbage dumb. Onlookers said that the bird had been stuck at the spot for days, unable to fly.
Fortunately a concerned local resident alerted us to the plight of the bird prompting a successful rescue and relocation to the Wildlife SOS Transit Centre. The bird is currently recuperating under our care and is undergoing treatment for an injury on its left wing.
We couldn't have conducted this rescue without @jeepindia's support!
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#wsos #wildlifesosindia #jeep #jeepindia #blackkite #kite #rescue #birdrescue #rescuingindiasanimals #instabird #birdsofinstagram #birdsofindia #delhi #transitcentre
We are celebrating a special occasion today - it's the second rescueversary of our youngest sibling duo, Natalie and George!
Rescued by Wildlife SOS after a fall down a hundred-foot deep well, the two four-month-old siblings had lost their mother when she became prey to an adjacent open well. Because survival in the wild was an impossibility without their mother, the decision to being them to the WSOS Leopard Rescue Centre 🐆 in Manikdoh, Junnar was made.
Their journey was captured on @natgeowild’s 'India's Jungle Heroes', alternatively known as 'Jungle Animal Rescue'. Catch a behind-the-scenes exclusive look into the challenges faced during the rescue on the exciting six-episode series.
Traumatic as their experience had been, it took both Natalie and George a long while before they became comfortable in their surroundings. The leopard care staff had to employ a greater measure of caution when interacting with Natalie and George in the most crucial phase of their lives.
Though they now share a great rapport with their keeper, even today, both siblings remain elusive, preferring their solace. It is quite a feat to catch sight of either of them, although George has slowly begun to feel more friendly towards the public eye.
Happy 2nd Rescueversary, Natalie and George!
Did you know?
Sloth bears are the most nocturnal of all the 8 bear species in the world.
Night vision camera traps at the Wildlife SOS Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre captured our bears in action! While many are definitely most active during night time, others can be seen snoozing away in cozy nooks!
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#wsos #slothbears #savingindiasbears #instabear #bearsofinstagram #knowyourbears #wildlifesosindia #bannerghattabearrescuecentre #bbrc #bangalore #karnataka
An update from the field in Chhattisgarh:
Despite providing an ideal habitat for wild elephant herds, changing land use patterns in Chhattisgarh mean that the interaction between these elephant populations and local communities has created a hotbed of conflict and chaos, specially in the area of Mahasamund.
For the past two years, we at Wildlife SOS, have been running a project on human-elephant conflict mitigation in Chhattisgarh in order to tackle the rising instances of conflict. To provide a more holistic solution, the Chhattisgarh Forest Department and Wildlife SOS installed a GPS radio-collar on the matriarch of a wild elephant herd consisting of 22 elephants.
This move enabled us to assess their exact location, thus resulting in the establishment of a highly effective Early Warning Alert System (EWS). This system sounds an alert every four hours with the exact location of the herd and the route they follow, thus giving the Forest Department and our team present on the ground a window to alert the villagers.
Local communities are educated and trained on avoidance behaviour with wild elephants — they have learnt to make small fires around their habitations, to speak loudly or play music while out in the fields, and to never venture into the forest alone. In the unfortunate, yet rare, incidents of crop-raiding, there is an immediate grievance redressal system in place to compensate the farmer for the grave loss of property and crop suffered.
Read more about our project on www.wildlifesos.org.
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#wsos #wildlifesosindia #savingindiaselephants #asianelephants #elephantsofindia #chhattisgarh #mahasamund #humanelephantconflict #hec #conflictmitigation #awareness #radiocollar #matriarch
#FridayFacts
The Blackbuck, also known as Indian Antelope, is native to India and Nepal. It makes its home in grasslands and slightly forested areas with perennial water resources.
Mainly active during the day, the blackbuck is a herbivore that forms three kinds of groups - male, female and bachelor herds.
Here are some interesting facts about the blackbuck!
1. The Blackbuck is now considered regionally extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh where large populations were formerly recorded.
2. Blackbuck populations saw a drastic decline in the twentieth century due to excessive hunting, habitat degradation and deforestation.
3. This species is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and is thereby granted the same level of protection as the tiger and elephant.
4. It can reach speeds up to 80 kmph (or 50 mph) to escape from predators!
5.The most recognisable trait of the blackbuck is the spiraling antlers sported by adult males (pictured here) - these can grow up to 24 inches!
6. Male blackbucks are strikingly different from their female or juvenile counterparts due to their black and white colouration in comparison to the reddish colouration of females and juveniles. This contrast is much greater than their other relatives.
Wildlife SOS frequently rescues blackbucks from situation of conflict and in case of injuries in encounters with feral dogs. In such cases, they require immediate medical treatment.
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#blackbuck #wildlifesosindia #wsos #wildlifesos #savingindiasanimals #conservationawareness #fridays #wpa #wildlifeprotectionact #antelope #indianentelope
It's been a busy week for the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Team operating out of Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
A Crested Serpent Eagle was amongst those rescued by the team in the past few days. As temperatures soar in the northern parts of India, a rising number of birds are falling prey to heat exhaustion and dehydration.
We receive many calls regarding birds that collapse on terraces, sidewalks or parks due to weakness resulting from the heat. Putting out water in bowls and planting trees in your gardens are some ways we can protect and safeguard the birds sharing our landscapes!
Thank you @jeepindia for your support!
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#wsos #wildlifesosindia #serpentcrestedeagle #eagle #birdsofinstagram #instabird #jeepindia #agra #rapidresponseunit #rescue
Throwback to the time we had Bollywood superstar & wildlife warrior Sidharth Malhotra visit the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Centre!
Sidharth spent his day getting an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into the functioning of the organisation with our cofounders Kartick Satyanarayan and Geeta Seshamani, and also got to interact with our resident elephants - Maya & Phoolkali amongst them!
Swipe to see more photos of his visit.
We're very grateful for @sidmalhotra 's continued support for our work.
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#wsos #wildlifesosindia #wildlifewarrior #sidharthmalhotra #savingindiasanimals #bollywood #superstar #conservation #awareness #eccc #elephantconservationandcarecentre
Tongue out Tuesday!
Did you know that the Common Leopard is one of the five big cats found in India - apart from Clouded Leopard, Asiatic Lion, Bengal Tiger and Snow Leopard?
These solitary hunters are opportunistic feeders, consuming the most varied diet observed amidst wild cats. There are nine recognised subspecies of the leopard distributed across Africa and Asia. In areas where leopards share their habitats with other big cats, they carry their prey to the top of a tree in order to savour it undisturbed.
In India, the leopard is threatened by man-animal conflict, depleting natural habitats and a constriction of its prey base. Wildlife SOS works closely alongside the Forest Department towards raising awareness on conflict mitigation and conduct rescues to safeguard the leopard populations inhabiting our forests from poacher traps and human-wildlife conflict situations, amongst other threats.
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#wsos #wildlifesosindia #savingindiasleopards #commonleopard #leopardsofindia #leopardsofinstagram #instaleopard #wildcatsofinstagram #bigcatsofinstagram #instawildlife #leopardrescue #conservationawareness #iucn #cites #tongueouttuesday.
Beating the heat with a riverside splash!. Chanchal, Bijli and Laxmi enjoy a lovely dip by the riverside as summer makes an appearance at the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre (ECCC) .
The three indulged in the long awaited splash for hours, with Chanchal displaying infectious excitement and Laxmi and Bijli contentedly accompanying her.
Catch them making the most of their day out in the Yamuna river near ECCC in Mathura!
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#wsos #wildlifesosindia
#wildanimals #savingindiasanimals #yamuna #eccc #elephantconservationandcarecentre #mathura #conservation #conservationawareness
#SlitheringSaturday
Sand Boas are non-venomous snakes, largely nocturnal reptiles that feed on insects, lizards, snakes, birds and rodents. They hunt their prey by ambush - burying themselves underneath loose earth and waiting for prey to come within striking range.
The reptiles are threatened by practices such as snake charming, illegal poaching and the exotic pet trade. Stolen from their habitats, these reptiles are sold at exorbitant amounts in illicit markets. Some believe that the snake is a harbinger of good luck and fortune while the pattern on its skin makes it a coveted 'pet'.
Every year, Wildlife SOS rescues countless such snakes from various difficult conditions and rehabilitates them into their natural habitats upon recovery.
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#boa #sandboa #boasofinstagram #reptilesofindia #snakesofindia #snakesofinstagram #wsos #wildlifesosindia #slitheringsaturday
Thank you for supporting our cause and standing by our side through thick and thin. We're overwhelmed by the love we have received from you.
We pledge to use our platform to continue drawing attention to the need of conservation, conflict mitigation and provide solutions and innovative ways to extend the scope of our work and benefit as many lives as possible in the process.
Please continue showering us with your support as we move forward. If you have any feedback, DM us or drop comments in the section below. We promise we will get back to you.
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#wsos #100k #wildlifesosindia #savingindiasanimals #conservation #rescue #rehabilitation
Mid week pick up coming your way!
While on a riverside walk, we caught sight of our adorable Emma catching her forty winks right on the riverbank. One of the many curious quirks of the pachyderm is her eagerness to go on walks. This, as we later discovered, was not just for the pleasure of stretching her legs, but also finding the best spots for a lie-down on her walk!
On such excursions, Emma's trunk is vital in helping her identify smells, textures and assisting her in her bouts of exploration.
The gentle giant has settled in well in her new home - recently she was introduced to Maya & Phoolkali as a part of her socialisation process. Emma went on to establish a comfortable rapport with both of them and discover many other joys - for example, the delight of cauliflower and cabbage - along the way!
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#emmatheexplorer #emmatheelephant #elephant #asianelephants #wsos #wildlifesosindia #savingindiaselephants #elephantconservation #conservationawareness #rehabilitation #riverside #elephantsofinstagram #instaelephant
Games galore!
We wanted to surprise our bear Leena, residing at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility, with a lovely new bamboo hut to explore! The hut was designed by her caretaker and erected in her enclosure - knowing Leena's love for food, he made sure that the hut contained a swinging ball covered with honey and stuffed with dates and coconut shavings.
One look at the hut and Leena was off to explore in a jiffy! After sniffing around carefully, she instantly bounded up the structure and spent the rest of the day discovering every nook and cranny the hut had to offer!
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#abrf #agrabearrescuefacility #leena #slothbear #slothbearrescue
It's cub season in Maharashtra!
Two forty-five day old cubs, found in a sugar cane farm in Ozar village of Junnar district, Maharashtra, were rescued and reunited with their mother in a successful operation by Wildlife SOS and the Forest Department.
Local villagers noticed the cubs while harvesting sugarcane and immediately raised the alarm. We dispatched a team from the WSOS Leopard Rescue Centre with the requisite equipment to answer the call of aid. On arrival, our veterinary officers conducted a thorough check-up and found the cubs healthy and fit for release.
We arranged for the young leopards to be returned to the field so that the mother could find her cubs. This involved the installation of remote-controlled camera traps in the field to document the reunion process, while we monitored the area from a safe distance.
The mother must have been looking for her cubs because she arrived on the spot within twenty minutes. We can only imagine her relief on finding them safe and sound!
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#wsos #leopards #leopardsofinstagram #instaleopard #bigcatsofinstagram #savingindiaswildlife #conservation #leopardrescuecentre #ozar
This ubiquitous House Sparrow's story is deeply intertwined with that of humans - so much so that they're never found in areas far from human settlements like woodlands, forests or deserts.
Today is a day to celebrate this bird most prevalent in our landscape. We have coexisted peacefully with the House Sparrow for millennia but in the last two decades, the species population has seen a drastic dive. This can be attributed to many reasons: the disappearance of its habitat, diminishing ecological resources, rising pollution, excessive use of pesticides, and emissions from microwave towers.
To raise awareness about the House Sparrow and the threats to their populations, World Sparrow Day is celebrated annually by enthusiasts, conservationists and organisations. Dedicated to raising awareness about the House Sparrow, this day is the perfect opportunity to educate ourselves about the bird that's more closely associated with humans than we know.
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#worldsparrowday #wsos #wildlifesosindia #savingindiasanimals #instabird #birdsofinstagram #housesparrow
Winter went by with our rambunctious Peanut enjoying every moment beside her best friend Coco, napping under the warm winter sun.
We also saw Peanut get up to all kinds of mischief with Coconut! If the sugarcane cart is left unattended by the elephant care staff, Peanut excitedly overturns the whole cart in an attempt to keep all the sugarcane stalks for herself! To keep Peanut's attention from drifting to the sugarcane cart with its enticing load, her caretaker arranges mounds of sugarcane in different corners of her free-ranging field to encourage her and Coconut to 'forage' for food.
With winter receding, Peanut and Coconut have resumed their riverside walks & Peanut can't wait to get back into the habit of regular splashes in the river. She recently had a wonderful splash by the riverside, only exiting the water after being enticed by an unexpected feast of fresh fodder and plenty of fruits that lined the riverbank.
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#peanut #wsos #fod #fieldofdreams #savingindiaselephants #asianelephants #conservation #rehabilitation #instaelephant #elephantsofinstagram #wildanimalsofinstagram
We've all heard of the relevance of wildlife corridors to habitat fragmentation caused by human activities and how the corridors are one of the major ways of mitigating human-animal conflict. Right off the bat, there are some things we need to ask ourselves: "What is habitat fragmentation?", "What are its effects?", "Why are wildlife corridors important? "How can we help?"
Habitat fragmentation means the splitting up of large swathes of untouched habitats into smaller 'islands' because of human activity like rapid urbanisation and deforestation. Disease, natural disasters and fires are just some of the many threats that haunt the wildlife populations inhabiting these 'islands'.
In instances such as these, the importance of the presence of 'wildlife corridors' cannot be denied. These corridors connect one isolated pocket to another and allow animals to freely move from one habitat patch to another without crossing human-caused barriers which can put animals, and potentially humans, in danger.
We've elaborated on the necessity of wildlife corridors on our blog on www.wildlifesos.org - "Why are Wildlife Corridors so Important for Conservation?"
Read on to find out more and let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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#wsos #wildlifesosindia #savingindiasanimals #wildlifecorridors #habitatfragmentation #conservation #conservationefforts
Lost baby leopard reunited with mom!. What can be more heartwarming than two successful reunion stories within a week?
Just a few days after our team operating out of the WSOS Leopard Rescue Centre in Junnar rescued and reunited three leopard cubs with their mother, we were able to carry out another successful reunion from a neighbouring village in Otur forest range of Junnar, Maharashtra.
It is not uncommon to spot leopards in this area, as there are several sugarcane fields that provide a safe cover for these wild cats and a suitable shelter for giving birth and rearing their cubs. Farmers spotted the thirty-day-old cub in a sugarcane field and reached out to the Forest Department, who then contacted Wildlife SOS for assistance.
On arriving at the spot, WSOS Veterinary Officer Dr Nikhil Bangar conducted a thorough medical checkup and found the cub to be healthy and fit for release. To reunite the mother with her cub, our team placed the cub in a safe box close to where it was found.
Around midnight, our camera traps captured the mother leopard slowly approaching the cub. After gently knocking off the covers from the safe box, she picked up her baby by the scruff of the neck and retreated into the tall, dense sugarcane field.
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#wsos #wildlifesosindia #savingindiasanimals #savingindiasleopards #asianleopards #commonleopard #sugarcane #maharashtra #otur #leopardrescue #leopardsofinstagram #bigcatsofinstagram #leopardcub #reunion #leopardrescuecentre
