Digit arrived at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility (ABRF) back in 2010. He was a five-month-old cub then, frail, frightened, and hurting. Rescued from the cruel practice of ‘dancing’ bears in Uttar Pradesh with the help of the forest department, the little cub had a rope forced through his muzzle, leaving a painful wound on his nose and a swollen eye with corneal opacity. Thin, weak, and terrified of every human around him, Digit had faced a heartbreakingly harsh childhood. His trauma had made him understandably anxious.
Fast forward to today, and you’ll meet a very different Digit!
Gentle care, patience, and time allowed fear to slowly give way to trust. After almost 15 years at Wildlife SOS, Digit is a confident and highly energetic bear, and he is known to even be cheeky with his caregivers! One of his favourite habits is huffing at them as a reminder to say, “Don’t forget my treats!” — a playful routine that has become his signature quirk.
Digit’s days are full of activity with enrichments specially designed by his caregivers to keep up with his unending curiosity. He loves to spend his time solving puzzle feeders, from rotatable bamboo devices to burlap sacks, each one packed with treats like honey, dates, and coconuts.
The bright and clever bear, with absolute determination, retrieves these treats and licks off every last drop of sweetness. Watching him sharply tackle these challenging enrichments surely deflates the word ‘sloth’ from sloth bears!
After Digit decodes these puzzles, he can be found either digging deep into the earth or climbing up logs and trees. Digging is an activity he most enjoys and spends hours doing so. Using his large claws, he quickly gets to ants and other insects to snack on. Climbing, too, thrills him, even if it sometimes ends in a clumsy tumble!
Digit loves the monsoon rain! He loves splashing around in the muddy water, and then after a thorough session of getting drenched, warms himself up inside his feeding den, while waiting for his warm porridge. After a nourishing meal, he often retreats to his favourite wooden hammock to lounge. His caregivers make sure to clean and maintain his enclosure to protect him from any injury or invasion of parasites.
Digit shares his enclosure with Gambhir and Valmiki, and like any close-knit group, their relationship reveals playful shenanigans and many heartwarming moments. On some days, they tend to engage in several mock fights with each other, while on others, they happily dig the ground side by side.
What stands out most about Digit is his expressiveness. He is not a quiet bear — he vocally communicates his moods and his likes to his companions, and even demands an expected treat from his caregivers, who share how his cheeky yet captivating antics brighten up their days.
From being wounded and afraid as a cub, to becoming a lively bear who spends his days in a cheerful way, exploring, digging, climbing, and calling out to his caregivers, Digit has shown how love, care and patience can restore ‘life’ in even the most traumatised animals.
Digit lives his days with the comfort he deserves, safety he needs, and an utmost curiosity to investigate enrichments laid out in his lush surroundings. If Digit’s story has touched your heart, you can support his care and well-being by becoming a monthly donor. Together, we can continue to create brighter days for sloth bears like Digit.
Feature image: Atharva Pacharne/ Wildlife SOS
