A young bear who was rescued from the forests of India with a severely injured leg was captured in some truly heartbreaking footage.
The little sloth bear, which has since been named Rose by her carers at a rescue centre funded by a UK animal charity, was discovered wandering alone with a missing paw.
Helpless: The little sloth bear of about three months old was discovered wandering alone with a missing paw
Sad: It is believed that the bear cub, who was separate from her mother, lost her paw in a poacher’s trap
It is believed that the tiny female of about three months old lost the end of her leg in a poacher’s trap before locals in Amoni village, Bhopal alerted the Forest Department to her presence.
Distressing: The video shows the baby whimpering in pain and distress as she struggles to stay on her feet
Coming to terms: The tiny female bear uses her long snout as a crutch in place of her missing forelimb
‘The pain from the infected wound must have been excruciating.
‘In addition, this poor baby is without her mother who should still be protecting and caring for her.
The bear had been making visits to the village in search of food but was becoming progressively thinner
Saved: The rescue team tracked down the bear cub and caught her before she fell prey to a larger animal
The facility, managed by Wildlife SOS of India and funded by International Animal Rescue, is home to 28 rescued dancing bears – providing them with pain-free retirement away from neglect.
Scared: The terrified cub was shaking violently when she was found and her leg wound was severely infected
The bear is being giving time to settle into her new surroundings, as she is deeply traumatised and frightened
‘Our primary focus was to prevent any secondary infection, so we put the cub on antibiotics and are treating and dressing the wound daily,’ Dr Niraj said.