Orphaned bear cubs find new life in Dehing Patkai

Guwahati: On World Environment Day, Kaziranga National Park highlighted the rehabilitation and release of two orphaned Asiatic black bear cubs, rescued from Dissoi Reserved Forest in Jorhat on Feb 26 last year and later released into Dehing Patkai National Park.

Park field director Sonali Ghosh said the cubs, estimated to be four to six weeks old at the time of rescue, were found alone by a local youth and handed over to the Na-Kachari Beat Office under Jorhat Forest Division.

“As subsequent surveys found no trace of their mother, they were transferred to Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), in Kaziranga, for specialized care,” she added.

Ghosh said the cubs were treated for mild dehydration and raised at CWRC’s small mammal nursery under veterinary doctor Bhaskar Choudhury and his team. “They were reared on a canine milk replacer and gradually introduced to conditions that would prepare them for survival in the wild,” she added.

The rehabilitation followed Asiatic black bear protocols of the Centre for Bear Rehabilitation and Conservation (CBRC), Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh. Ghosh said the process emphasized nutrition, retaining natural behaviour and limiting human imprinting to improve reintegration prospects.

“In line with best practices, a scientific survey was undertaken to determine a suitable release site. While the Dissoi Reserve Forest was considered, its proximity to human settlements and high disturbance made it unsuitable for bear rehabilitation. A systematic evaluation based on natural cover, distance from habitation, prey availability, and local community awareness identified Dehing Patkai National Park as the most suitable release site,” she added.

Dehing Patkai was selected for its vegetation, natural resources, minimal human interference, and support from forest staff and local communities, officials said. Formal permission for site selection and release was granted on June 4, 2025, by the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam.

“Following this approval, the CWRC team led by senior vets Bhaskar Choudhury and Mehedi Hassan and experienced animal keepers and forest frontline of Choraipung range of Dehing Patkai National Park successfully translocated and reared the cubs, giving them a genuine chance to thrive in the wild,” Ghosh said.

Ghosh added that the cubs were released in Feb and have not returned to their soft release enclosure since then. Park authorities shared details of the release on Friday.

Established in 2002, CWRC in Kaziranga is a joint initiative of the Assam Forest Department, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

The CM’s Office wrote on X on Friday: “On World Environment Day, we celebrate one of Assam’s inspiring conservation success stories under the leadership of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. After months of dedicated care and rehabilitation at CWRC, at Kaziranga National Park, two orphaned Asiatic black bear cubs were successfully released into Dehing Patkai National Park, where they now have a second chance to thrive in the wild.”