Recent forecasts from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) paint a concerning picture for 2024, with predictions of exceptionally high temperatures following last year’s record-breaking heat, especially across Asia and India. The upcoming months, particularly May and June, are expected to see a peak in heat intensity, mainly in Central India. Given these alarming projections, it’s crucial that we take proactive measures to protect both ourselves and the animals under Wildlife SOS’s care from the impending heatwave. In this article, we highlight some of the management practices implemented at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility (ABRF), Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre (BBRC), and Van Vihar Bear Rescue Facility (VVBRF) to ensure the well-being of sloth bears amidst rising temperatures.
Refreshing Enrichments
Enrichments play a vital role in animal welfare by engaging animals both physically and mentally, allowing them to express their natural behaviours and thus thrive in our care. In response to the changing seasons and the environmental conditions throughout the year, our caregivers carefully modify the types of enrichments provided to the rescued sloth bears:
Popsicles
Everyone likes slurping on a nice, cold popsicle when the weather outside is very hot. Our resident sloth bears are no different. The dedicated caregivers prepare these icy delights by layering a tub with a variety of fresh, juicy, seasonal fruits such as watermelon, muskmelons, dates, and grapes. To bind the fruits together and add oodles of sweetness for our honey-loving bears, a mixture of water and honey in a 9:1 ratio is poured on them. After freezing them into chunky popsicles, they are then strategically hung in various locations around the enclosures for the bears to happily lap them up. Some bears also prefer to lie down on top of their fruit popsicles until they melt!
Pond Treats
During the summer months, the ponds in bear enclosures are refilled with clean water once every two to three days, giving them the opportunity to splash around as and when they like. To add an extra layer of fun, our caregivers install various enrichments like scent balls, puzzle feeders, or wooden logs inside or around the pond. These enrichments are filled with chopped and juicy seasonal fruits like watermelon, papaya, muskmelons, and sun melons, and the sloth bears remain actively engaged till they extract each out!
Cool Tools for Summer Management
When the hot season begins, we also implement a range of management practices to help our resident sloth bears navigate the challenges brought about due to the heat:
Sprinklers
Enclosures at ABRF are equipped with sprinkler systems that are typically operated twice daily. On especially hot and dry days, the caregivers turn these on more frequently until the ground is sufficiently wet. This system helps to create a cool environment for our bears to rest and play in.
Coolers and More!
In ABRF and VVBRF, coolers are installed in each enclosure to cool them down. This provision is certainly beneficial for those bears that choose to stay within their feeding dens instead of socialising with their enclosure mates on hot days. Another way to keep the interiors in ABRF comfortable for the bears has been inspired by an age-old practice in India — caregivers gently sprinkle water on the brick walls of the dens during their daily enclosure cleaning duty. The bricks absorb the water, thereby bringing down the den’s temperature to a pleasant point.
The caregivers in VVBRF and BBRC also use a clever trick to bring down the heat during the hottest hours of the day. They cover the windows and doors with straw padding or jute sacks, which are consistently dampened with water. The breeze blowing through the wet padding acts as a natural cooler, effectively cooling the bears’ dens.
Hydrating Diet
Maintaining optimal feed with sufficient water intake are equally crucial to help the bears regulate their body temperatures. In summer, the bears’ diet includes an additional one-and-a-half kg of fresh, juicy fruits such as watermelons, papayas, muskmelons, and sun melons that are rich in nutrients and also help to hydrate them. Furthermore, ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) is also added to the water troughs in each den throughout the hot season. These troughs are cleaned and refilled daily, guaranteeing that the bears always have constant access to uncontaminated drinking water.
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