A three-year-old female sloth bear was rescued by the Karnataka Forest Department and Wildlife SOS after it stepped into a deadly snare in Kora, Tumakuru. The bear sustained a severe forelimb injury and is currently receiving treatment at Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre.
According to a release, forest officials found the injured bear limping around a rocky area and alerted the Wildlife SOS team operating out of the Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre for reinforcement.
“In such precarious situations, every second counts. The bear was successfully immobilised using a sedative injection from a safe distance and transported to the Range Forest Office for a detailed medical examination. It was identified as an approximately three-year-old female. The prognosis was grave, with a snare wrapped around her right forelimb leading to a gangrenous wound with bacterial infection. She was also severely dehydrated and starved,” the release said.
The snare was removed, and the wound was cleaned and dressed. The bear has been safely transferred to the Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre, where she remains under intensive medical care.
The release said snare traps are set up by farmers to protect their fields from being raided by animals like wild boars, and despite its menacing nature, they are used widely owing to low manufacturing cost and ability to trap all kinds of animals, even elephants.
Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS, said, “Animals caught in snare traps struggle for hours or even days before succumbing to injuries or to thirst and hunger. Some animals like sloth bears and tigers have even chewed off their limbs to free themselves. Yet, even for animals who manage to escape, the situation is dire; They often die in days or weeks due to the brutal injuries the snare trap inflicts.”
Nataraj, Range Forest Officer, Tumakuru, said, “Sloth bears are very common in this area since the habitat is suitable for them. We are constantly engaged in raising awareness about these animals and informing people about the damage done by snares.”
