Chapter I — Alone
Too young to survive alone.
In the buffer zone of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, forest officials discovered a five-month-old female sloth bear cub by herself. Her mother was nowhere to be seen.
The cub—later named Luna—was dehydrated, anaemic, severely underweight, and unable to walk properly. An old fracture near her left hip, an injured toe, a damaged claw, and a painful footpad wound had turned every step into a struggle.
For a wild cub, being alone is dangerous. Being alone while injured can be fatal.
She did not need attention. She needed time.
- Separated
- Found alone
- Critically weakened
- Rescued
- Taken into specialist care
What Luna was facing
Dehydrated
Her small body urgently needed fluids and care.
Anaemic
She arrived weakened and medically vulnerable.
Underweight
She had not received the nourishment a growing cub needed.
Unable to Walk
A serious hind-limb injury made movement extremely difficult.
Old Fracture
Veterinarians identified a hairline fracture near her left hip.
Damaged Paw
A wounded toe, damaged claw, and footpad ulcer added to her pain.
This summary is based on the publicly reported veterinary assessment. It is not medical advice.
