Repatriated sloth bear ‘Rangila’ travelled a 1000 km journey across international borders with a Wildlife SOS team from Nepal to India. The repatriation process took seven months and was facilitated by the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India, Director General Foreign Trade, Govt. of India, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and the Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttar Pradesh wherein Wildlife SOS was given permissions to go into Nepal and rescue the bear, and transport it back to the Agra Bear Rescue Facility for long term medical treatment and rehabilitation.



RANGILA finally arrived in an air conditioned animal ambulance of Wildlife SOS at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility in Uttar Pradesh accompanied by a team of expert rescuers, veterinarians and paravets from Wildlife SOS.



Rangila will initially be in a Quarantine enclosure to undergo a mandated quarantine period wherein he will be subjected to extensive medical checks and screening for any contagious disease. He will also be dewormed and given a calibrated diet of dates, honey and multi grain porridge with food additives to boost his immunity and give him a chance to put on some weight. Rangila will also be monitored by a dedicated team of veterinary doctors and bear keepers to care for him. Behaviour observation and positive reinforcement is another aspect that will be addressed during this period.



In December 2017, Rangila and his companion bear Sridevi were both spotted on the Indo Nepal border. Before the authorities could reach there, the traffickers smuggled the two bears into Nepal. Thankfully, the bears were seized by the Nepal enforcement authorities and shifted to temporary housing at Kathmandu zoo while they awaited repatriation.



Although getting these bears off the streets was a victory, it wasn't nearly enough as during this period, the female bear Sridevi sadly succumbed to her death, leaving behind the surviving male bear Rangila. Indian NGO Wildlife SOS was tracking the movement of these bears even when they were on the Indo-Nepal border and immediately requested the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Government of India to facilitate the repatriation of the two rescued bears who were found to be in a critical state of distress and requiring urgent medical care from Nepal to the specialized bear rehabilitation center in Agra. The Jane Goodall Institute in Nepal has also been working closely with Wildlife SOS to facilitate the repatriation of the surviving sloth bear Rangila to India and assisted with valuable liaison with Nepal Govt.



Dr. Ilayaraja, Wildlife SOS Deputy Director, Veterinary Services who accompanied Rangila on the journey said, “During the journey I was continuously monitoring and observing the bear for any signs of stress. It is crucial to keep Rangila under close observation to ensure the he familiarizes and acclimatizes to his new home and surroundings. He will remain in quarantine for 90 days, when we will carry out extensive medical examinations to determine his health condition and provide him with necessary treatment.”



Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder & CEO Wildlife SOS said, “Within a short while of being in the bear rehabilitation center, we could see a marked change in Rangila’s behaviour. This indicates the extreme trauma he has been subjected too in the past. At Wildlife SOS we aim not only to rescue wild animals in distress, but also to provide them a life of dignity and freedom in an environment as close to their natural habitat as possible”



Geeta Seshamani, co-founder Wildlife SOS said, “It is heartening to see Rangila take his first steps towards a life of recovery and freedom. He is in need of a lot of medical care right now but we are relieved to know that Rangila can simply be a bear again in the company of other rescued sloth bears just like him.”



Baiju Raj, Director - Conservation Projects Wildlife SOS and officer in charge of the Agra Bear Rescue Facility said “we are relieved to see the bear safe and hope to give him a high quality of care here. We are grateful to the Indian and Nepalese Governments and the Jane Goodall Institute in Nepal for facilitating this repatriation mission successfully”.

In The video of Rangila bear playing with enrichments in his quarantine unit. Rangila is currently under a 90 day mandated quarantine and is undergoing treatment and medical examinations. He will be released into a much larger enclosure with an open field once he is given a clean bill of health from our veterinarians.