Ding dong bell there’s a Blue Bull in the well!

Aishu explains that sometimes it's not just bears that need rescuing...

As well as caring for the hundreds of rescued dancing bears at our centres in Agra, Bannerghatta and Bhopal, our partners at Wildlife SOS are on call 24/7 to respond to all kinds of wildlife emergencies.

On 18 Feb they rescued a Blue Bull, otherwise known as a Nilgai, from a 15 foot deep disused well close by a wheat field. It was near the village of Runkuta in the state of Uttar Pradesh, about 50 kms from our Agra centre.

The team went to check on the state of the bull on the night it was discovered and left some fodder for it. Then they returned at sunrise with the rescue equipment. They examined the animal, carried out the rescue operation, checked once more that it was free from injury and then set it free – job done! All in a day’s work for the rescue team, but the Blue Bull had a lucky escape thanks to them. Let’s hope he looks where he’s going in future!

Introducing Valmiki

Wildlife correspondent Aishu Sudarshan, tells us about Valmiki, who is living happily at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility. 

When Valmiki arrived as a 3 year old male bear after being rescued from a Kalandar in Nepal, he was dehydrated, pitifully thin and with a sparse, dull coat. On the way over to the Agra Bear Rescue Facility, he managed to remove the rope that went through his muzzle –a symbolic gesture if ever there was one! He was friendly and cooperative, seemingly fully understanding that we were here only to help him and make him get better. 

It has been a year and a half since Valmiki arrived and we are just so glad he is here. His appetite has shown drastic improvement because he went from being a frail 60 kilo bear to the 102 kg weight he is today. Titli bear is his best friend and you will watch them both fighting for hammock space and digging the ground intently. Valmiki loves climbing and keeps juggling between the climbing frames and the trees. If there is one thing his keeper, Gopal, tells us it is that he eats extremely fast and is always given a second helping. If he isn’t given one you will hear continuous calling, grunting and nudging to get Gopal’s attention.  

We are delighted that now Valmiki’s muzzle has healed, his coat is fluffy and thick and he is safely vaccinated against diseases.  It warms our hearts to see him running around, climbing trees, stealing watermelons and just being a beautiful boisterous bear!