Karnataka’s orphaned bear cubs named after Cricket icons Dhoni and Mithali

BENGALURU: Two sloth bears cubs, rescued recently from a 20-foot-deep well in Tumakuru of Karnataka, have been named ‘Maahi’ and ‘Mithali’, in honour of cricketers Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Mithali Raj.


These little bears, currently under care at the Wildlife SOS Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Center near Bengaluru, have been adopted by a ‘foster mom’, another bear called Ankita!

Suspected to have been trapped inside the well in a village of Pavagada taluk in Tumakuru for over two days, the mother of these

bear cubs

had succumbed from starvation and physical injuries sustained during the fall. The bears were later discovered by local farmers after they heard the cries of the young cubs echoing from the well. When the rescuers arrived at the location, they were met with a truly devastating sight— the cubs were clutching onto their dead mother and still nursing from her.

Following a formal order from the principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife), the bears identified as a male and female of approximately 20 weeks, were transferred for lifetime care to the Bannerghatta Rescue Center run by Wildlife SOS in collaboration with the Forest Department.

Wildlife SOS members said they christened the cubs ‘Maahi’ and ‘Mithali’, in honour of cricket legends. “While Mithali quashed gender stereotypes to heading India’s women’s cricket team and leading it to current ODI ranking of number 3 in the world, Dhoni hailing from a small town in Jharkhand lead India’s men in blue to win the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. The two orphans, just like their namesake, too have beaten all odds and emerged victorious in the face of adversity,” said a member.