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Domesticated wild bear rehabilitated

Photo: Lingaraj Panda

For better care: Onlookers take a peek at the bear that was rescued and being sent to Nandankanan zoo at the forest range office in Berhampur on Tuesday. —

BERHAMPUR: A fully grown wild bear kept by one Trinath Behera of Kukudakhandi of Ganjam district was sent for rehabilitation at the Nandankanan Zoological Park on Tuesday.

To avoid any kind of opposition of villagers, forest officials reached the house of Behera without any prior information in the morning to transport the bear. The animal ambulance of city unit of People for Animals was used for transportation.

On July 3 forest officials had also seized the bear and brought it to the forest range office in the city. But they had to again leave it with its master till further arrangements for its rehabilitation as the animal was too much attached to Behera.

Behera accompanied the bear to Nandankanan. Speaking from Nandankanan after handing it over to the authorities there he said he was feeling pangs of emotional pain after parting with the bear, which he had found as a lost cub and groomed.

He added that the bear did not cause any problem during transportation or release at the zoo. Behera is preferring to stay at Nandankanan for a few days till his wild pet gets accustomed to new habitat. The feeding habit of the bear has changed. It now eats rice and roti like humans.

The wild bear has become so acquainted with its master and surroundings that it has completely forgotten its real free wild nature.

Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) S.N.Mohapatra had contacted the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests for the rehabilitation of this bear as it is illegal to domesticate a wild bear as per Wild Life Act.

According to him there was slight delay in the transportation of the bear to Nandankanan due to scarcity of space to accommodate this bear that needed much conditioning.

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