Wildlife SOS!!

In October, I went to the rescue centre of an NGO called Wildlife SOS - and it was one of the most insightful, emotional and beautiful journeys I have ever been a part of!

Wildlife SOS was founded in 1995 by Kartick Satyanarayan sir and Geeta Seshamani ma'am, two extremely empathetic and caring people who had been working with animals from a long time. They saw the issue of dancing bears rise enormously in India. "For over 400 years, the Sloth Bear had been a target for human exploitation. A nomadic tribe known as the Kalandars began ‘dancing’ sloth bears for the emperors during the Mughal era. Over centuries, as the kingdoms in India disappeared, the ‘dancing’ bear trade transitioned to become cheap roadside entertainment for villagers and tourists who paid to watch the bears jump in agony. Mother bears were killed so that poachers could take and sell their cubs in perpetuation of this brutal practice. Through underground trading, the cubs, as many as 200 annually, would end up in the hands of the Kalandars. With no anesthesia, a red hot poker rod would be driven through the muzzle of the baby bear, often at the tender age of six months. A rope would then be strung through the painful piercing, and tugged to induce ‘dancing’ performances on demand; for many bears a life at the end of a rope would be all they would ever know." They decided that this has to stop, no matter what, and with their shared enthusiasm, dedicated themselves to the mission of resolving the abusive practice of 'dancing' bears in India completely.

So over two years, they created a report, showing the widespread impact of this horrible practice. They presented it to the government and asked for three things: the legal permissions to carry out a mass rescue act, a large area to safely keep the sloth bears after rescue, and funding. The government gave all the legal permissions, and land. And that's how this beautiful organisation started. With a will - to protect, to serve, and be empathetic towards all living beings.

And, alongside drastically improving the lives of these sloth bears, they also acknowledged that, despite how cruel, inhumane and terrible this practice is - it was the only source of livelihood for the Kalandars. So, Wildlife SOS gave them compensation, enough money to start a new venture, as well as inducting many from the community into their staff. Now, the people who used to hurt these animals care for them as caretakers. And, for the women of the Kalandars, they taught them how to knit, and sell their handmade products in their gift shops. Now, when some of them see animals being mistreated, they call Wildlife SOS for help! That is the power of transforming communities - not by deprivation, or violence - but by growth, change, support, and understanding.

When my mother and I went there, the first day I volunteered at the elephant rescue centre in Agra. It was such a beautiful feeling to see all the elephants, and while the orientation and seeing their stories was extremely sad and emotional, it was heartwarming and amazing to see how their lives have been transformed by this wonderful group of people, dedicating their lives to the animals' care and good health.

We saw how they prepare the food, and along with our mentor, we together cut up different kinds of fruits and vegetables like banana, beetroot, cucumber, weighed them to measure quantities and distribute it to all of the elephants!

We also got to learn how they cut sugarcane and put in the elephant's food compartment, a brilliant exercise through which they can both be stimulated to exercise their mind by navigating their trunks through the hole in the compartment, and enjoy crunchy and juicy snacks for nutrition and good health!! It was absolutely awesome to see the elephants enjoy their own time with their friends out in the open, as they went for their morning and evening walks - one group after another. It was an extremely heartening experience to spend the day with the elephants, learning about their behaviour, their unique and inspirational stories, and how Wildlife SOS changed their lives forever!!

The next day, we visited the Agra bear centre, their first ever centre for their mission to rescue sloth bears from the dancing bears practice!! We built a wooden platform for them to both bask in the sun and relax in the winters, with a ladder for them to climb and exercise! We learnt amazing tying techniques from the Wildlife SOS members and they guided us to build this structure. After that, we prepared the food for the bears too, and cut different fruits into smaller sizes for a snack! Following lunch, we went to the bear centre extension, after crossing the Yamuna River. Over there lived the bears who had never faced the dancing bears practice, as Wildlife SOS rescued them as cubs, before they went through any suffering. We cleaned out the bears' enclosures as they went out into the green spaces, and then poured their porridge, a delicious mix of grain, honey, fruit and more, into their feeding bowls, and prepped their enclosures for a hearty meal and relaxation. As they came back for lunch, we went outside, and witnessed something magical. A sloth bear put her paw and rested her chin on another ones back and hugged her as if comforting her. That was one of the most beautiful things I ever saw, and it was just so emotional and heartwarming to see that despite what they had gone through, they still had each other's love and care.

To contribute to the absolutely amazing work that Wildlife SOS does each day, there are a lot of things that we can do too!

Firstly, we must SAY NO to anyone using animals for entertainment. These are extremely inhumane and very hurtful for the animals, and can scar them physically, mentally and emotionally for life! If we see any elephants injured, or being misused and mistreated, we must contact Wildlife SOS immediately so they can help the elephants and care for them.

Secondly, we can sponsor an elephant, bear or leopard, in Wildlife SOS shelters. This contribution will help them immensely for the animals' food, medical care and continuing the beautiful work that they are doing!! We can even sponsor a child from the Kalandar tribe, as it is also Wildlife SOS's mission to educate them more creatively and emphathetically so that they can create new ways for earning

.

And lastly, we must spread awareness about Wildlife SOS so that many more people can get to know and be inspired by their life-changing mission and dedication. So that everyone who has the will to protect and change lives for the better can unite, support each other, and contribute to this wonderful NGO!! Additionally, we must go and volunteer at their rescue centres, such as the Bear Rescue Center in Agra and the Elephant Conservation Centre in Mathura, very nearby!! It is an extremely fun experience where you learn so much, and truly get to be a part of the magical work they are doing. I can assure you, it is a life changing experience filled with emotion, service, learnings, and you may just make some amazing lifelong friends with the same interests and love for animals as you, just like I did!!

These are very small ways in which we can do our bit to support the outstanding care that Wildlife SOS provides to these elephants, leopards, bears and children of the Kalandar tribe!!

These days at Wildlife SOS in Agra were a truly life changing experience for me. I've been extremely passionate about animals from a very young age, feeding cows and dogs with my dad, and I even have a little brother, Angie, too!! This trip truly gave me so much hope and faith that there are such pure souls like those in Wildlife SOS who care for animals so much, and are so selfless, giving, and determined to give each animal a life of dignity and freedom!!