Leopards, Elephants, Sloth bears, Oh My: Ecotourism with India’s Wildlife SOS

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Leopards, elephants, sloth bears, oh my. An organization called Wildlife SOS in India is rescuing these animals and providing the world with a new sense of tourism. Quite recently, the conventional tourism industry has been scrutinized by environmentalists. From this, the ecotourism industry blossomed in many countries like India in hopes of creating a responsible means of traveling that is less environmentally degrading. Combining ideas from Megan Epler Wood and Martha Honey, ecotourism is tourism in places of ecological interest; involving responsible travel to “natural areas” that conserves the environment, improves the well-being of local people, and creates shared knowledge and understanding through education of all involved. This definition can then be used to evaluate different travel opportunities, such as the one in India, to see if they can be considered ecotourism. Since 1995, Wildlife SOS, located in various areas of India, has provided travelers with ecotourism because of its conservation efforts, improvement of locals' well-beings, and spread of knowledge.

Wildlife SOS was founded in 1995 by a small group of people who wanted to make a difference and protect India’s wildlife. Kartick Satyanarayan and Geeta Seshamani, specifically, saw the severe exploitation of animals in their community and came together to find means of mitigating this problem. Today, according to Wildlife SOS’s website, “The organisation has evolved to actively work towards protecting Indian wildlife, conserving habitat, studying biodiversity, conducting research and creating alternative and sustainable livelihoods” (“History”). While this organization is primarily known for their work with sloth bears, they also rescue animals such as elephants, leopards, reptiles, and many others. Furthermore, Wildlife SOS actively works with the locals, the government, and volunteers from all around the world. This is what enabled me to volunteer with this group in the summer of 2016.

During the period of volunteering, the travelers, like myself, stay in housing provided by Wildlife SOS. The location often varies with the animals the group is working with and the size of the volunteer group, but my group stayed in a housing unit across the way from some of the regular Wildlife SOS staff. It was set up much like a dorm. There was a common area, one shared kitchen and eating area, separate rooms with different keys for each, and a bathroom for each room. We were given fans and cooling units in our rooms rather than air conditioning which was often unfortunate because the power would often go out at night, subjecting us to the heat when the cooling units would subsequently shut off. The facility had the general amenities needed and nothing luxurious, minimizing the impact the housing would have on the environment. 

Since we were right across from some of the organization’s staff, we would walk across for their home-cooked dinners each night. Our daily diets consisted of quite the same combination for every meal: naan, rice, and dal. The provided meals were almost exclusively vegetarian. Lunches and dinners were supplied by the staff, but we were on our own for breakfasts; however, we were encouraged to go to the multitudes of local vendors and purchase from them. We were given tips, of course, on how to do this safely and efficiently, but this allowed our money to be fed into the local economy. My group was also fortunate to be able to go to one local sit-down Indian restaurant during our volunteering period and got to dance with a Bollywood dancer. This is likely not a common occurrence with every volunteer group, but the Wildlife SOS staff does do their best to also bring in parts of the local community.

Additionally, the staff also has initiatives to bring the volunteers around the local wildlife. Since those who have lived in an area for nearly their whole lives know it well, their nature tours are incredibly in-depth and educated. The staff that my group worked with brought us on a guided boat tour, and by boat, I mean the most basic wooden boat and paddle system possible. We moved along the river and our staff member, Shiva, told us all about the birds that we saw and the history of the river. We then ventured onto the opposite side’s river bank and saw a camel and an emu that they rescued in the past. Rather than getting a mass tour guide, a native staff member was able to show us their passion for where they live through leading us around.

WSOS also has direct efforts in conserving natural areas. “With the aim of protecting and restoring habitats, Wildlife SOS in 2006 purchased nearly 40 acres of land near Ram Durga Village, to create a wildlife corridor and allow the vulnerable habitats that were at risk to link up with a Reserve Forest patch” (“Habitat Protection”). This land was then kept from the commonplace exploitations such as illegal mining, encroachment, and rapid deforestation. The organization recognized the need for true biodiversity conservation and restoration so they took the step of setting aside land for this purpose. Furthermore, “In April 2012, the habitat restoration project was expanded to an additional 10 acres with the generous support from BHEL, PSSR, Chennai. In consultation with horticulture experts, saplings of tree and shrub species most appropriate for the area were selected and nearly 10,000 saplings planted” (“Habitat Protection”). This restoration process has resulted in higher levels of biodiversity and plant survival rates as well as an increase in wildlife.

A Rescued Fawn Named Sonya

As for the animals this organization works with, WSOS has facilities that house elephants, sloth bears, moon bears, leopards, reptiles, and a number of other organisms. While in India, a few snakes were brought in by the 24/7 rescue team. “Wildlife SOS rescues close to a 1000 reptiles every year which includes monitor lizards, turtles, crocodiles as well as various species of snakes. When a rescued reptile is brought to our Rescue Centre, a physical examination is carried out. If the reptile’s health is compromised, necessary veterinary care and treatment is provided. Thereafter arrangements are made and proper permissions are acquired from the concerned authorities to release the reptile into a suitable habitat. The release is done in the presence of representatives of the Forest/Wildlife department” (“Reptiles”). This process is similar for the other rescued animals as well. WSOS’s goal is to treat the animals and then properly release them back into the wild, but there are many cases in which the creatures are unable to live independently. In this case, the organization does all they can to give the animals a great home with the care they need.

Hundreds of sloth bears—who are, ironically, not related to sloths—have been rescued by WSOS.

Most of these bears were tortured by a group called the Kalandars who used them for a 400-year-old act referred to as the “dancing bears” to make money (“Indian Sloth Bears”). They would take the young cubs from their mothers in the wild and, using a needle and rope, create a type of leash through the roof of the young cub’s mouth. This cruel process is done without anesthesia or accuracy, causing a great number of the bears to suffer from nerve damage, teeth deficiency and loss, blindness, and infection. This was the Kalandars’ way of subduing the bears and making them “dance” for an audience. Wildlife SOS took this problem into their own hands and have now successfully rescued all of the sloth bears used for this practice in India.

The Magestic Laxmi

Similarly, the elephants were neglected and abused to get money. These gigantic animals are some of the wisest and most spirited creatures, but people in India used them for circuses, begging on the streets, and other means of revenue. To get the elephant to comply, spiked rings and chains were put on their legs, and they were often starved and neglected. An elephant named Laxmi was in the enclosure closest to the fruit chopping area and is known for trying to steal fruit as the workers cut it. Unlike most of the rescued that were found underweight, Laxmi was fed unhealthy sweets during her begging days and became extremely obese. After being saved, she has lost over 800 pounds and is still overweight. Furthermore, whenever the elephant was injured or sick, the original owner would continue working it, no matter the severity. Moreover, since the elephants’ nails were not naturally trimmed by elements found in nature, their nails grew too long, touching the ground. Elephants’ toenails face downward, and, when they get this long, bear the pressure of the elephants’ weight. Consequently, nearly every elephant was rescued with cracked toenails, painful foot growths, foot sores, and improper standing posture.

The Climbing Platform My Group Built

WSOS’s efforts enable volunteers from all over the world to help out at the facilities. Groups serve the bears their morning porridge, which is quite liquidy to enable the nearly toothless bears to slurp up, early each day. They also work on different projects to keep the bears active and engaged. When I volunteered, my group built a climbing platform for them to play on using long logs. We also cleaned out their cages (which were air conditioned to give the bears reprieve from the heat), made fruit bear-popsicles, and threw in watermelon for them to snack on. Since these animals have been hurt beyond repair, they cannot be returned to the wild, so the facility wants to keep them happy and mobile. We even got to witness a sick bear being brought to the clinic via camel. Even though volunteers cannot physically touch the unpredictable bears, some special connections are still made. 

Volunteering is not limited to the sloth bear facility; WSOS’s elephant sanctuary is a great place to do service as well. According to WSOS, “you will also enjoy the opportunity to visit our elephants and help with their feeding or with giving them a bath” (“Volunteer With Us”). A couple days of my trip, we got the opportunity to take these charismatic animals on their morning walks—taken to stimulate all of their muscles—and cut and distribute fruit. An elephant’s snack of fruit was around fourteen pounds each, which we got to hand feed to some of them. We also got the opportunity to bathe them. Because elephants do not sweat, they throw dirt on themselves to cool down. To keep them from being too covered in dirt, they get washed every day. Since there are so many elephants in the facility, and due to their massive size, having volunteers help with the bathing process speeds it up tremendously and enables the workers to accomplish other tasks.

Even though the Kalandars were exploiting and harming the animals, WSOS did not just take away the animals and leave the people to fight for themselves. The organization recognizes that the animals were the main form of revenue for many of the Kalandars, so, along with rehabilitating the animals, the group rehabilitated the Kalandars. WSOS works both in increasing the education of children and women with a focus in conservation. As their site says, “Impoverished human communities do not often have the luxury of informed choice in how they earn the living that feeds their family. With this in mind, Wildlife SOS also funds the education of children from Kalandar communities. This enables the people to break cyclical poverty and ignorance” (“Education”). The organization wants the Kalandars to be able to successfully get on their feet again without the harmful exploit of their surrounding environment. 

Throughout the process of volunteering, there are connections made between many different groups. The volunteers learn about the facility, the happenings in some Indian culture, as well as the group of the Kalandars. At one point on my trip, my group had the opportunity to go to a Kalandar community to listen to snake charming music. Of course, they did not wield any snakes because WSOS rescued them from the exploitative art, but the music and dancing were authentic. We were encouraged to stand up and join in the dancing, and the mass of children around us was so excited and energetic in their dancing. We were able to socialize with the Kalandars that spoke English, and we were given a little tour around a couple homes to see what their conditions were to see how they were improving. While it felt a bit disconnected because it was a bunch of Americans inserting themselves into the nightlife of their community, the connections made were priceless and not ones that could have been made sans volunteering at WSOS.

Voluntourism, volunteering while traveling as a tourist, turned out to be a great case of ecotourism, and one that makes me want to look into more ecotourism-resulting voluntourism in the future. According to The International Ecotourism Society’s (TIES) page on voluntourism, “You don't need to be affluent, or be able to afford months of free time, to be part of something meaningful and rewarding that helps empower local people, support communities, and enhance skills, capacity and knowledge through travel” (“Voluntourism”). Even apart from Wildlife SOS, India’s voluntourism opportunities are increasing. As Integrated Social Programs in Indian Child Education (iSpiice) says, “Voluntourism in India is a concept, exclusively designed for the volunteers, who want to spend time with the Indians, who need assistance for development. Incredible programs are offered for people, who want to travel to India as a traveller or to spend time during the gap year or to take up internship programs in India” (“Voluntourism in India”). 

While my group had a unique experience volunteering with WSOS because it was through a separate program called Rustic Pathways, the volunteering experience is definitely ranging on true ecotourism. We ate local cuisine, got driven through the crazy traffic, slept in the volunteer house that only wielded cooling units and fans, danced to authentic snake charming music in a rehabilitated village, visited a marble shop, went on a bird-watching boat ride, and toured the Taj Mahal. We were brought to natural areas by WSOS who focused on conserving the environment and educating and aiding the locals, and volunteers have the opportunity to help with the organization’s efforts and learn along the way. 

Sources: 

“Conservation Awareness.” Wildlife SOS, http://wildlifesos.org/conservation-awarness/.

“Education.” Wildlife SOS,http://wildlifesos.org/education/.

“Habitat Protection.” Wildlife SOS, http://wildlifesos.org/habitat-protection/.

“History.” Wildlife SOS, wildlifesos.org/history/. 

“Indian Sloth Bears.” Wildlife SOS,http://wildlifesos.org/indian-sloth-bears/.

“Reptiles.” Wildlife SOS, http://wildlifesos.org/reptiles/.

“Volunteer With Us.” Wildlife SOS, http://wildlifesos.org/volunteer-with-us/.

“Voluntourism in India | ISpiice - Volunteer in India.” Volunteer India Ispiice, 31 Jan. 2017, www.volunteerindiaispiice.com/news/voluntourism-in-india/. 

“Voluntourism.” The International Ecotourism Society, www.ecotourism.org/voluntourism.