Bangalore: Bear handlers recently voluntarily surrendered their bears to Bannerghatta Biological Park.

The bears are now under the care of veterinarians at the Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre (BBRC).

B. Jayaram, Assistant Conservator of Forests, said that seven bear handlers (qalandars) voluntarily surrendered their animals to the park on Saturday. The qalandars were from Hampanakatte in Hospet taluk of Bellary district, and Haidar and Mangalapura villages of Gangavati taluk in Koppal district. Each qalandar was given Rs. 50,000 for their rehabilitation.

Arun A. Asha, Wildlife Veterinary Officer at the BBRC, said that of the seven bears, five were males while two were females. Of the seven, five have poor vision and three of them are partially blind. "The bears are weak and their health condition needs to be improved. For the time being, the bears will be tied until they get used to the new environment. Then they will be given anaesthesia and the nose rings will be removed,"s he said.

Dr. Asha said that one of the bears was just two-years-old. "That little one is the friendliest. But we cannot release him as yet," she said.

All the bears at the centre are fed three times a day. In the morning, they are given jowar porridge and one litre of milk per bear, three kg of a variety of fruits for each bear, ragi porridge, one litre of milk and an egg per bear. The bears are given feed additives with all meals. "We scatter dates and honey in the field so as to encourage their foraging behaviour. Depending on their dental condition, we individually feed them with sugarcane and a variety of boiled vegetables," said Dr. Asha..

Wildlife SOS has been working hard to end the cruel tradition of making bears dance for tourists and rural audiences.

Its forest rescue centre was opened in Agra. "Uttar Pradesh, according to a survey, has the maximum number of qalandar families. Our first centre was, thus, in Agra," said Dr. Asha.

The Department of Forests signed a memorandum on understanding with Wildlife SOS in November 2005. The BBRC began operations in February 2006. "Since we opened a centre at the BBP, 20 bears have been rescued from qalandar families. According to a survey, there still are over 60 qalandar families in the State," she said.

Wildlife SOS has centres in Bhopal and Hyderabad. Another centre at Gurgaon is being set up. "Our efforts are justified when we get to see a bear, sans the nose ring, in happy mood, playing with the other bears. That is when we feel the most satisfied," she added.

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