Rangila has been through some extraordinarily rough times — but things have finally turned around for the sloth bear in the best possible way.
In December 2017, help finally came for Rangila and another sloth bear named Sridevi, who were known to be the last two dancing bears in Nepal.
Instead of transferring the bears to the sanctuary, local authorities decided to move them to Central Zoo in Jawalakhel, Nepal, the country’s only zoo, and one that’s notorious for its lack of animal welfare standards. Rangila and Sridevi were locked up in tiny cages and put on display for the public — and this took a huge toll on them.
“The footage that I’ve seen confirms our worst fears,” Neil D’Cruze, wildlife technical expert for World Animal Protection (WAP), told The Dodo in March. “He’s being kept in a small enclosure with no enrichment, and he’s showing really telltale stereotypic behaviors — mewling, paw sucking, swaying, pacing up and down.”
“Rangila is growing accustomed to his new home,” Kartick Satyanarayan, CEO and cofounder of Wildlife SOS, told The Dodo. “During the initial weeks, even the slightest sound or movement would trigger his stereotypic behavior. This is usually characterized by head bobbing and pacing, a common behavior displayed by animals that are under immense stress or subjected to harsh captive conditions.”
But Rangila got better with every day he spent at the sanctuary.
“This [stereotypic behavior] has reduced significantly, and we hope that with time, he will be able to overcome it completely,” Satyanarayan said. “He is on a healthy, nutritious diet and our veterinarians are happy to inform us that Rangila has gained almost 10 kilos [22 pounds] since his arrival.”
“This is really the first time that he has been able to explore the outdoors without being led around on the end of a rope, and seeing him react so positively to his new surroundings is reassuring for us,” Satyanarayan added.
Rangila has now been at the sanctuary for three months, and the team expects him to keep improving physically and mentally. Now, for the first time, Rangila has a future to look forward to.