Odum
Year of arrival: 2009
Age at the time of arrival: 9 years old
Sex: Male
Personality traits: Mischievous and playful
Facility: Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre (BBRC)
Favourite food: Honey and peanut butter
Favourite activities: Playing in his jungle gym and mock-wrestling!
Special needs: Scaleable enrichments due to his small size.
Background: Odum was a ‘dancing’ bear that performed on the streets of Bellari in Karnataka. He had been poached as a cub and was involved in this practice for all nine years of his life. When he arrived at the Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre, he would spend most of his time sitting alone in a corner. He was suffering from stunted growth and he walked with an abnormal gait. Due to his small size, Odum was also unable to climb trees and keep up with the other bears. Gradually, Odum began to socialise with his enclosure mates. Receiving medical care and developing trust in his caregiver transformed the timid bear into a joyous one. | READ MORE ABOUT ODUM
ODUM'S STORY
Odum was captured as a young cub to perform as a ‘dancing’ bear. A hot iron poker was punctured through his nose and a rope was passed through this raw wound. When the rope was pulled, the agonising pain forced Odum to be up on his feet – a reaction grossly misinterpreted as ‘dancing’. During his life as a dancing bear, Odum was poorly cared for and remained malnourished, which led to his stunted growth and an abnormal gait.
Odum was handed over to Wildlife SOS for long-term care in 2009, the year when the last remaining dancing bears of India were rescued and rehabilitated by the organisation. With the shackles of his brutal past cut off, Odum began his new life at the Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre (BBRC) in Bangalore. This special occasion was marked by the visit of acclaimed Hollywood actress Julia Roberts at our centre. It was she who named him ‘Odum’ after her old family name. Odum soon became a favourite amongst visitors, caregivers, and even his fellow bears.
According to his caregivers, it is nearly impossible to see Odum sitting still! He is a joyous bear who can always be found mock-wrestling or strolling around his free-ranging field. He is truly our centre’s pocket-sized ray of sunshine.