Within a year of the successful rehabilitation of two hand-reared Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus), the Centre for Bear Rehabilitation and Conservation (CBRC) has released another batch of five in Pakke Tiger Reserve in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The bears, hand-reared at the CBRC, were undergoing acclimatisation in the wild at Upper Dikarai since September last year.

Following the soft-release protocol known as "assisted release", the bears were taken for daily walks in the wild assisted bytheir caretaker or'surrogate mother'. While the animals were encouraged to feed on their natural food, their diet wasalso supplemented with concentrate food at the deep forestcamp where they spent the nights. Initially, the bears returned to their temporary enclosure for the night, but gradually they began to rest outdoors, indicating signs of independence. As the wild instinct took over, the bears detached themselves from their caretaker, and began exploring the forests on their own.

Says NVK Ashraf, director, Wild Rescue Programme of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), "There are four crucial dates in any animal rehabilitation programme of this kind: their first walk in the wild, the first night they spent outside the enclosure, the first time they are left alone during the day and finally the day the walker stops accompanying them."

Tamo Dadda, field officer, WTI, based at CBRC recalled, "The bears had begun showing reluctance to return to the camp at night after a few months from their first walk. Since April 2008, all but one spent their nights outside their enclosure in the camp, choosing to rest on the trees as they do in the wild. During their walks they foraged on leaves, shoots of bamboo, wild fruits, barks of various tree species and termites."

"The five bears are not all of the same age and obviously not all became independent at the same time. Their release date was finalised only after we were satisfied that each one of them was capable of surviving on their own," said Ashraf.

The bears were radio-collared on June 24. Yaduraj Khadpekar, veterinarian, Mobile Veterinary Service (MVS) Arunachal Pradesh, said, "They are now being monitored by the keepers who are still at the camp. The bears have not returned to the camp but haven't ventured very far either."

"The radio-collars are fitted to provide six to eight months of post-release monitoring data. The collar drops off by the eighth month, before it becomes too tight, by which time the bear is mature enough to survive on its own," added Ashraf.

Found in sub tropicaland Himalayan forests (1200 to 3300 metres)along the Indian sub-continent, the Asiatic black bear is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The species isthreated byhabitat degradation, intensehuman-animal conflicts innorthern India andhuntingfor food and forother cultural usesalong the north-east Indianstates.The bears are also endangered by poachingfortheir gall bladder used in extractingmedicinal bile for Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The CBRC was established to rehabilitate Asiatic black bear cubs orphaned by poachers orrescued from villagers.This isa joint venture of the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and its partner, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

The CBRC situatedon the western bank of Pakke Rivercan hold up to 16 bears andprovidestemporary refuge forrescued cubs.Villagers in Arunachal Pradesh, unaware ofthe bear'sconservation status, traditionallyhunt itfor its meat, skin and other body parts. There havebeen efforts to control this practice but it is still prevalent.Bearcubs are oftentaken home from the forestby villagers,to be kept as petsand handed over to the forest department when they become a liability, as they approach adulthood.

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Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), is a non-profit conservation organisation, committed to urgent action that prevents destruction of India's wildlife.

Its principal concerns are crisis management and the provision of quick, efficient aid to those areas that require it the most. In the longer term it hopes to achieve, through proactive reforms, an atmosphere conducive to conserving India's wildlife and its habitat.

Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) was formed in November 1998 in response to the rapidly deteriorating condition of wildlife in India. WTI is a registered charity in India (under Section 12A of the Income Tax Act, 1961). It has as its express purpose the provision of rapid aid to wildlife in times of crisis. To learn more about WTI, please log on to: www.wti.org.in

IFAW and WTI formed a partnership in 2000 to strengthen the cause of wildlife conservation and animal welfare in India. The two organizations share concerns for a number of endangered animals, including the Tibetan antelope. Through this collaboration, IFAW and WTI are developing strategies to find solutions to wildlife threats in India and the surrounding region.