While the world at large celebrates Easter with vigorous fervour, Wildlife SOS took upon itself to treat the rescued sloth bears at our Agra Bear Rescue Facility with treats and delicacies. Easter is a joyous occasion and if little kids all over the world love finding treats hidden in their eggs, we thought so would our bears. After all, they deserve all the tender loving care in the world after the miserable lives they were forced to live with their Kalandar owners. Vets and keepers at the centre built innovative enrichments for the bears, in line with the age-old Easter traditions. Embarking on an Easter Treat Hunt, their mouths watered when they found watermelons decorated as ‘Easter Bunnies’ and boiled eggs in their enclosure! Mowgli, Elvis, Bean and Bintha stuffed their mouths with the decorated watermelons and eggs in true festive spirit of youngsters anywhere!
Our staff worked really hard to prepare the watermelon bunnies as treats for our bears. They put in hours to carve out watermelons, stick on grapes as eyes and a cauliflower nose onto the ‘bunnies’.
Mowgli the youngest bear at our Centre, just couldn’t contain his excitement on finding the treats and devoured them with gusto. Within a few minutes he had finished his treats and his animated expressions made everyone’s day, it was clear their efforts hadn’t gone in vain. The other bears, Elvis, Bean and Bintha were also having a field day on receiving such delightful treats.
It was heartening to watch the bears relish the watermelon bunnies. These not only help the bears beat the heat but also provide nourishment. Bears at Wildlife SOS are encouraged to forage, climb trees, and play with their enrichments. as they help keep boredom away and keeps them mentally and physically stimulated,which is vital to their well-being.
At Wildlife SOS, we aim not only to rescue wild animals from distress and abuse in captivity, but also to provide them with a safe, happy and healthy life post-rescue. We provide them with a life of freedom, companionship, and their natural right to be bears again. Each story of healing and recovery, each challenge overcome, each quirky unique personality that we grow to know and love, reminds us why we do what we do.
Most of the rescued bears have undergone physical mutilation. They have been kept in inhumane conditions for long years, forced to walk for miles on hot tarred roads nearly every day and suffered life at the end of a short rope. Wildlife SOS strives to help them by providing a near-natural environment, tap into their instincts, and overcome the trauma on their emotional, psychological and physical well-being.
