WILDLIFE SOS CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS WITH THEIR RESCUED BEARS AND ELEPHANTS

WILDLIFE SOS CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS WITH THEIR RESCUED BEARS AND ELEPHANTS

Commencing the holiday season, Wildlife SOS celebrated Christmas with the rescued bears and elephants in Mathura. Comprising of treats-stuffed Christmas tree with honey-laced bamboo candy canes atop, the bears and elephants were thrilled and surprised!

Wildlife SOS welcomed the advent of another holiday season by embarking celebrations at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility and the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre. In order to provide them with attractive enrichments, the staff built innovative structural enrichments in line with the festive season. Loaded with treats and fruits, the Christmas tree was made of honey-laced bamboo candy canes hanging on top, decked with seasonal fruits and foliage. Honey-laced, treats-stuffed bamboo logs were also used to make David’s stars, which were then hung from platforms, enclosures and trees in order to lure the bears in exploring the structures. 

A snow man made out of gunny bags and stuffed with dates and treats was also placed within the bear enclosures. For ornamentation, a garland of apples and sapodilla was hung around the snow man. The elephants in search of the hidden treats in no time destructed the bamboo logs and enjoyed their special treats.

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder & CEO of Wildlife SOS said, “With the holiday season approaching, we wanted to make sure we provide our rescued bears and elephants with additional enrichments. This not only helps in keeping them mentally stimulated but also physically active.”

Baiju Raj M.V, Director Conservation Projects, Wildlife SOS said, “It was heartening to watch the bears and the elephants enjoy the Christmas-themed enrichments. While some hurried away with the treats to devour them individually, the others were seen constructively demolishing the gunny snow man and bamboo candy-canes.”

Wildlife SOS successfully ending the illegal and barbaric practice of dancing bears across India by rescuing over 628 bears from illegal custody while giving sustainable alternative livelihoods to the nomadic Kalandar communities that exploited sloth bears for decades thereby establishing a successful model in place for sustainable conservation solutions in partnership with community.

The Agra Bear Rescue Facility is the largest Sloth Bear Rescue Facility in the world and is home to nearly 200 rescued sloth bears and provides specialized veterinary care with equipment like Thermal Imaging, Camera, Digital X-ray, Ultrasound, Dental suite, Laboratory etc.

For more information & pics, contact Suvidha Ph. 9148409475/ 9560011875 – email news@wildlifesos.org
Wildlife SOS (WSOS) is a non-profit charity established in 1998 with the primary objective of rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife in distress across India. We actively run wildlife and nature protection projects to promote conservation, combat poaching & illegal wildlife trade. We also work in partnership with the Government and indigenous communities to create sustainable, alternate livelihoods for erstwhile poacher communities.