Bintha
Year of arrival: 2013
Age at the time of arrival: 1 year 3 months old
Sex: Female
Personality traits: Active and playful; likes to also spend time being solo
Favourite food: Watermelons
Facility: Agra Bear Rescue Facility (ABRF)
Favourite activities: Basking on her wooden platform and digging mud pits in her enclosure
Background: Bintha was rescued along with her sibling Bean in 2013 from the Indo-Nepal Border. They were in line to be auctioned as ‘dancing’ bears when Wildlife SOS rushed to rescue the young cubs. Malnourished and dehydrated, the siblings were brought to the Agra Bear Rescue Facility for urgent medical care. | READ MORE ABOUT BINTHA
BINTHA’S STORY
Bintha was just 15 months old when she and her sibling Bean were rescued by Wildlife SOS’s anti-poaching unit Forest Watch. They were being illegally traded near the Indo-Nepal border. Their tender muzzles were pierced by captors through which tugging ropes could be passed, a brutal precursor to their future as ‘dancing’ bears. At the time of rescue, Bintha was found severely dehydrated and malnourished with dry skin and a rough coat of fur. She displayed stereotypic behaviour by aggressively bobbing her head and swaying her body.
The veterinarians and caregivers at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility dedicated themselves to Bintha’s care, which helped her gradually recover from her mental and physical trauma. Bintha has grown up to be a healthy and active bear. While she enjoys playing with her enclosure mates, she likes to devote time to indulge in solo pursuits as well. She uses her claws and paws with dexterity to dig pits in her enclosure, and gets excited to explore every new enrichment that her caregivers install.
Bintha most enthusiastically engages with enrichments that are stuffed with dates and coated in honey. While she devours her meals, the cheerful sloth bear shows a strong fondness for juicy, ripe watermelons!