Cub handed over to forest department after 7-day wait for mother bear

With seven days gone and no sign of the mother bear, Bhadanta Nandamala Thera, head of Lama Zinamayzu Orphanage in Bandarban, today handed over a bear cub to the forest department.

"The head of the ashram rescued the bear cub when a dog attacked it on a hill close to the ashram," said SM Kaiser, an official of the Lama Forest Department.

Bhadanta had been taking care of the animal until it was handed over to the forest department today.

"I have waited for its mother for the past one week," he added. But when he realised there was no sign of another bear, he informed the matter to the forest department and handed over the cub to Dulhazra Safari Park.

Without adequate forest habitat nearby and other bears, Bhadanta knew it would be difficult to raise the bear on the ashram premises.