Guwahati, June 5 (IANS) Two orphaned Asiatic black bear cubs on Friday were successfully released into the wild in Assam’s Dehing Patkai National Park after undergoing months of scientific rehabilitation at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in Kaziranga National Park, marking a first-of-its-kind conservation achievement in the state, officials said on Friday.

The cubs, estimated to be four to six weeks old when rescued from the Dissoi Reserved Forest in Jorhat district on February 26, 2025, were found alone by a local youth and handed over to forest officials.

Subsequent searches failed to locate their mother, prompting authorities to transfer them to the CWRC for specialised care.

Highlighting the achievement on World Environment Day, the Chief Minister’s Office posted on social media platform X that the successful release reflected Assam’s growing commitment to wildlife conservation under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

“After months of dedicated care and rehabilitation at CWRC, two orphaned Asiatic black bear cubs were successfully released into Dehing Patkai National Park, where they now have a second chance to thrive in the wild,” the X post said.

Established in 2002, CWRC is a joint initiative of the Assam Forest Department, International Fund for Animal Welfare and Wildlife Trust of India.

The cubs were treated for mild dehydration and hand-reared under the supervision of wildlife veterinarian Bhaskar Choudhury and his team.

Officials said the rehabilitation followed established protocols developed by the Centre for Bear Rehabilitation and Conservation in Arunachal Pradesh, with emphasis on proper nutrition, retention of natural behaviour and minimising human imprinting.

A scientific assessment was conducted to identify a suitable release site.

While Dissoi Reserved Forest was initially considered, its proximity to human settlements and high levels of disturbance made it unsuitable.

Dehing Patkai National Park was selected due to its dense forest cover, abundant food resources and limited human interference.

After approval from the state’s Chief Wildlife Warden Vinay Gupta, the cubs were translocated and released by a team of veterinarians, forest personnel and animal keepers.

Officials described the operation as a landmark conservation success, demonstrating how science-based rehabilitation and coordinated efforts can help orphaned wildlife return to their natural habitat.

–IANS

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