Endangered Himalayan black bears are being given special treatment at a rehabilitation centre set up by wildlife authorities, as their hibernation period has begun in Jammu and Kashmir.
A modern rehabilitation centre has been recently set up at the Dachigam National Park, which is around 22 kilometers from Srinagar.
The purpose of this high-tech rehabilitation centre is to save the Himalayan black bears.
Wildlife guard, Nazir Ahmad, said: "At the hibernation centre, whole year the black bears are given porridge and other eatables and therefore, they do not face any problem. But we have to take special care of the black bears that remain outside and not in the centre so that they do not remain active in search of food."
The six months of hibernation period for black bears, during which they do not eat or drink, begins during the harsh winter season.
The Himalayan black bears are also attracting tourists from across the country.
A tourist from Kolkata, Junaid, said: "It's a great feeling to see different type of species which we cannot see everywhere. Therefore, Himalayan black bear is famous over here. I would want that more tourists should visit the place and enjoy their journey by watching them."
The Dachigam Wildlife Sanctuary boasts of nearly a score of mammal species such as the Hangul, Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan marmot and leopard. This sanctuary covers an area of 141 square kilometres amid pristine scenic surroundings.
The sanctuary is also the home to a good number of winged beauties numbering over 150.These include Monal, Koklas, Bearded Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Golden Eagle, Grey Heron, Starling, Golden Oriole, Paradise Flycatcher, Western Yellow-Billed Blue Magpie, Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon and Black Bulbul.
Poaching and illegal trade of bears, whose bile is used in traditional medicine and folk remedies, remains robust across Asia, putting wild bear populations under unrelenting pressure.
