Kuber
Year of arrival: 2011
Age at the time of arrival: 2 months old
Sex: Male
Personality traits: Friendly, playful
Facility: Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre (BBRC)
Favourite food: Coconuts, dates and honey
Favourite activities: Mock-wrestling, engaging with structural enrichments, digging mud pits
Special needs: Kuber suffered from muscle incoordination after tests revealed cerebral haemorrhage on the left side of his brain. This affected the mobility of the right side of his body. After intensive treatment, Kuber made a remarkable recovery. He requires laser therapy and regular physiotherapy to sustain his health.
Background: Kuber was rescued along with his brother Nakul in an anti-poaching operation by Wildlife SOS, law enforcers and the forest department, after their mother had been killed by poachers. At Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre, the two cubs were hand-reared by our bear care team. | READ MORE ABOUT KUBER
KUBER'S STORY
Kuber and his brother Nakul were barely a couple of months old when they were rescued in an anti-poaching operation conducted by Wildlife SOS in Karnataka in 2011. Their mother was killed in the wild by poachers, leaving the two cubs orphaned and helpless. Our anti-poaching unit Forest Watch received intelligence about this situation, and along with law enforcers, reached the location. While the poachers managed to escape, the two cubs were saved and transferred to the Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre for long-term care.
In 2016, Kuber was noticed having weakness and had lost a significant amount of weight. He was suffering from muscular incoordination, and an MRI test revealed that this was caused by cerebral haemorrhage on the left side of his brain. Kuber’s reflex actions had been affected, and he was unable to climb trees or dig mud pits. The veterinarians charted out a dedicated plan of treatment that lasted several months, to which Kuber responded well. His weakness gradually subsided, and soon, Kuber began to gain strength in his muscles. Though he does not climb trees, he manages to dig small pits in his ground to hide his treats. He continues to receive laser therapy for relief. Kuber never skips a meal, and relishes his first meal of the day – a warm bowl of honey-laced porridge!