The Agra Bear Rescue Facility is the largest Sloth Bear Rescue Facility in the world. Established in 1999 by Wildlife SOS in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, it currently houses over 130 sloth bears as well as many other species of wildlife in large forested enclosures with ponds and shady trees. Agra Bear Rescue Facility undertakes advanced research, disease management and provides specialized veterinary care as well as geriatric care for sloth bears.
In Agra each rescued bear undergoes a 90-day quarantine period during which he or she is given a complete health checkup and treated for any diseases, wounds and parasites. The bear is vaccinated against Rabies, Leptospirosis and infectious canine hepatitis. After the quarantine period, the bears have access to large socialization enclosures where the behavior & personality of each bear is closely monitored by the Wildlife SOS vets & staff.
Based on each bear’s personality, he/she is matched to a group and then moved to a larger free-range area. Wildlife SOS has full-time wildlife veterinary doctors and a dedicated team of bear keepers to care for the rescued bears. The bear hospital is equipped with a laboratory in addition to essential equipment like X-ray, Ultrasound, Dental suite, Operation Theater and other equipment needed to meet any bear care need that may arise. A special cub weaning area of the bear sanctuary is dedicated to foster baby bears rescued from poachers as the cubs require a lot of careful attention during the early months.
The Agra Bear Rescue Facility runs with the long term commitment of our international partners IAR-UK, One Voice, France. We are extremely grateful to our individual donors and supporters.
Bear Rescue Facility: The Bear Rescue Facility houses over 200 sloth bears. Most of them were previously used as “dancing bears” for entertainment – a painful and traumatic practice. This is one of India’s biggest rehabilitation success stories; and has gone a long way towards ending the “dancing bear” trade. Wildlife SOS simultaneously works to re-skill and built alternative livelihoods for the kalandar community, who used to earn a living through dancing bears.
During your visit you can take a guided tour of the facility, and understand the slow but rewarding process of rehabilitation. Experience the unique world of the sloth bears as they play, forage, climb trees, dig in the ground, and interact with the bear keepers. They are very charming! You can watch a documentary on dancing bears, and also visit the kitchen where their food is prepared.
Elephant Conservation and Care Centre: The elephant centre houses elephants who are finally enjoying a lifetime of love, after being rescued from harsh work environments. They receive nutritious diets and professional veterinary care. Wildlife SOS is campaigning against the capture, training and use of elephants for tourism, temple festivals, begging, performing on streets, or the logging industry.
alk a guided walk to see daily life at the centre, and watch the elephants relaxing and playing. Listen to the stories of how the elephants arrived there, and the challenges of looking after these gentle giants. There is also a documentary about the ongoing efforts to stop animal abuse.
How it works:
Wildlife SOS is between Delhi and Agra. You can choose to visit one or both centres. Timings will vary accordingly. An indicative schedule from Agra is below.
- 07:30am - Pickup from Agra
- 09:00am to 10:30am - Visit Bear Rescue Centre
- 10:30 to 11:00am – Transfer to Elephant Conservation and Care Centre
- 11:00 to 1:00pm – Visit the Elephant Centre
- 01:00 to 2:30pm – Return to Agra
An afternoon trip is also possible.
Duration: 5-7 hours depending on whether you visit one centre or both.
