GUWAHATI, June 5: Two orphaned Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) cubs, rescued from Dissoi Reserved Forest in Jorhat in February last year, have been released in Dehing Patkai National Park, marking an important milestone in Assam’s wildlife conservation journey.
Official sources on Friday said that the cubs, estimated to be between four and six weeks old at the time of rescue, were found by a youth and handed over to the Na-Kachari Beat Office under Jorhat Forest Division.
As subsequent surveys found no trace of their mother, they were transferred to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in Kaziranga for specialised care.
At CWRC, the cubs were treated for mild dehydration and nurtured in the small mammal nursery under the close supervision of Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury and his team. They were reared on a canine milk replacer and gradually introduced to conditions that would prepare them for survival in the wild.
The rehabilitation of the orphaned Asiatic black bear cubs in CWRC followed the Asiatic black bear rehabilitation protocols of the Centre for Bear Rehabilitation and Conservation (CBRC), Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh.
In line with best practices, a scientific survey was undertaken to determine a suitable release site. While the Dissoi Reserve Forest was considered, its proximity to human settlements and high disturbance made it unsuitable for bear rehabilitation.
A systematic evaluation based on natural cover, distance from habitation, prey availability and local community awareness identified Dehing Patkai National Park (a rainforest spanning across Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts) as the most suitable release site.
Offering rich vegetation, abundant natural resources, minimal human interference, and committed support from forest staff and local communities, the park emerged as the ideal new home for the cubs.
Formal permission to proceed with the site selection and release was granted on June 4, 2025, by the Office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam.
Following this approval, the CWRC team led by senior vets, Bhaskar Choudhury and Mehedi Hassan, and experienced animal keepers and forest frontline of Choraipung range of Dehing Patkai National Park, translocated and reared the cubs, giving them a genuine chance to thrive in the wild.
