Imagine a big green field. There are trees everywhere, pools of water waiting to be splashed in, and all sorts of strange and wonderful things lying around: tyres, pipes, wooden logs and balls.
In this very field, let’s add in a group of sloth bears wandering around. Some are digging the soil. Some are looking for something interesting to sniff. Some are busy with their own little adventures of exploration.
Caregivers have quietly placed a new exciting element at one corner of the enclosure. It’s a Kong ball, stuffed with two treats that would reel in any bear: peanut butter and dates.
But all bears don’t know of this yet. All but one. Before anyone could even trace the delicious smell, there was one clever bear who raced across the enclosure, quick as a flash, to reach the Kong ball.
That’s Rhitika.
If this were a film, this would probably be the moment when the camera would zoom in on our protagonist Rhitika’s gleaming eyes. She happens to be the fastest one in the group, the first to reach every new enrichment that caregivers strategically devise, and seems to carry the will of being at the top of her game.
But Rhitika wasn’t always this confident.
Back in 2008, she was just a one-year-old cub when she arrived at Wildlife SOS from a remote village in Andhra Pradesh, after being poached from the wild to be used as a ‘dancing’ bear. She was malnourished and underweight, with a delicate muzzle that had been pierced with a hot iron rod so that a rope could be threaded through the wound and used to control her. The wound on the bridge of her nose had become severely infected, pus discharging from her nostrils, and parasites affecting her young body. It was heartbreaking for all of us to see such a small cub in such a poor condition.
Rescuing a bear cub is never easy. We can only imagine the fear and confusion Rhitika must have experienced after being separated from her mother and the wild. As soon as she arrived at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility (ABRF), our first priority was to make her feel safe and cared for. For Rhitika, that meant having someone she could learn to trust. Her caregiver became a familiar and comforting presence in her new life, almost like a parent to the little cub. Whenever he entered her enclosure to greet her, she would come running towards him, and one could see the joy in her eyes when she realised he had brought along pieces of her favourite watermelon as well.
Even today, nearly two decades later, you can see a familiar spark in her eyes whenever she hears her caregiver call her name. She might be busy playing with her friends or occupied with a complicated enrichment, but the moment his voice reaches her, she still comes rushing to the den to greet him. Even after 18 years, she is still energetic, still playful, still curious, and definitely still a little mischievous.
Her enclosure is quite the popular spot. It is a grand, sprawling space with plenty of room to explore, housing around 10 bears with a large open field with trees, a huge pond for the bears to cool off in, lots of enrichments, including pipes, tyre enrichments, honey logs, date logs and her much-loved Kong balls. And much like the famous “King Kong”, Rhitika absolutely loves throwing that ball around!
The pond is her absolute favourite! On hot, sunny afternoons, she will spend plenty of time there, floating, staring into the canopies, holding on to her ball.
Early mornings and evenings are when she is most active.
When it comes to food, Rhitika has had plenty of opportunities to experiment. When she was younger, her caregiver would introduce her to different fruits, offering her mangoes, papayas and other treats to see what she liked.
But some love stories are simply meant to be. For all the fruits she has tried over the years, Rhitika’s relationship with watermelon has remained remarkably monogamous.
Her countless activities of the day includes a self-indulging session of serious back scratching. After every trip to the pond, she would come out drenched, sit next to a tree on top of dry leaves, and then lean back on its trunk as the warm sun rays filter through the canopy above.
Then she starts rubbing.
And rubbing.
And rubbing her back even more.
The fun part is the expression on her face. As she scratches her back against the wall, she looks almost as though she is smiling!
Rhithika happens to be naturally smaller in size than the rest of the female bears under our care. Perhaps this is how she can be uniquely agile! Rhitika is a highly social bear too, and one of the most important bears in her world is Julfi.
The two have been all-time partners and are seen together almost every day. They arrived at the centre around the same time and, although they are not related, they are of the same age and have been through the same difficult journey. Another bear very close to them is Sonia, who also happens to be of the same age. Sonia likes to have her own space, but Rhitika and Julfi never really leave her out. Whenever the two are playing or busy with an activity, they often make their way over to Sonia, giving her company and making sure she is part of the fun.
And if you’re curious about what these friends like to do together?
They love to dig.
Especially the wet soil next to the pond. Splashing mud and sniffing insects together.
The male bears in her enclosure, meanwhile, have learnt an important lesson.
Give the girls some space.
Rhitika may be small, but she is certainly not shy. There are moments when Rhitika teams up with the other female bears and chases away the much bigger males, who would come to have a sneak peek to their enrichments.
Yes, you read that right.
A feisty little bear chases away the big boys.
It is almost like watching a mini gang of confident girls taking over the neighbourhood, with Rhitika being the leader. The males generally know better than to mess with her, as they know the girls run the show around here!
But there is one rather unique exception.
Kitcha.
Unlike the other male bears, Kitcha is extremely courteous in his approach. He is only a few months older than the three girls and seems to know exactly how to approach his friends without disturbing their peace. He is often gentle and respectful around them, which perhaps explains why Rhitika is happy to let him join her from time to time.
Caregivers convey that Rhitika has her own idea of perfect weather: it should not be too hot, not too cold, and not pouring with rain. The beginning and end of the monsoon, when there is a little light rain in the air, are perfect times for her. Autumn is another favourite season, with its mild temperatures and comfortable days.
On days that see heavy rains, Rhitika prefers staying inside her indoor feeding den, and eagerly waits for the rain to subside to resume her antics.
What makes Rhitika especially wonderful is that she has never lost that little twinkle in her eyes that shows how curious she is about the world around her. Whether she is playing in her pond, tossing around the wet soil with her friends, enjoying a good back scratch against the trees or hurrying to her caregiver when she hears her name, she finds a way to make the simplest moments feel special.
Rhitika may be one of the smaller bears in her enclosure, but she has a personality that takes up plenty of space. And after all these years, she still seems to have just one rule for herself:
Be curious. Be playful. And always secure the first place!
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Feature image: Mradul Pathak/Wildlife SOS
