Luba, the She Bear Handed over to Forest Department amid Tearful Send off.

23rd Oct: – Nine months old Luba, the she Bear, reared by one Shri Terde Yomcha of Lipu Yomcha village was formally handed over to Aalo Forest Division which in turn handed it over to the State Zoo Itanagar today. The Bear Cub was purchased by Shri Terde Yomcha from someone at Rs.1000 at a very tender age of less than one month, just occupying a space in two palms of his hands only. He is said to have spent his entire school stipend received during the year for rearing Luba besides other expenditures incurred from his parents. The Luba had to be handed over to State Zoo ultimately as it was rejected by the Wild Life Department reason being that it was reared in a homely way and had homely traits that may not allow Luba to survive in the jungle. The owner Shri Terde Yomcha decided to hand it over to Forest department as he was going out for further study at a college in Itanagar so that his emotional attachment with Luba continues and he can meet her off and on as there is none at Yomcha to take control of the bear. He carried the bear all the way from Yomcha to Aalo in his lap in Tata Sumo and kept here for nearly two week waiting for handing over to the Forest Department take place and left for Itanagar in tears due to urgent call from the college authority missing the Handing over Ceremony. The weeklong stay at Aalo was a source of amusements to see the Luba dancing with typical girl’s frock, bathing in aluminum water tub, playing with kids and half of the feeding works were met through onlookers from neighboring areas who came to enjoy the sight with milk and cold drinks which Luba received gladly with her stretching hands. On intimation and willingness to hand it over, DFO of the Aalo Forest Division Shri Jumdo Geiyi and his team responded promptly and kept in constant touch with the Directorate of State Zoo to take it over on request by the owner and ultimately Dr.Sorang Tadap VO, Biological Park, Itanagar and Dr. Ranjit Basumatary, Manager and Head CBRC, WTI, Pakke Tiger Reserve arrived at Aalo to take it to their custody. Unlike other wild bear, Luba is purely brought up as a vegetarian preferring Dal-Baat, cabbage, maize, tomato, sugarcane, liquid milk, any kind of fruit juices and bathing and playing with water in tub on hot sunny day is her preference. Shri Terde Yomcka is the son of Priest Shri Siter Yomcha and grandson late Kasi Yomcha,one of the most miraculous priests any tribal society ever had in the past who manufactured famous ‘Topo Gone under the cover of blanket in his dying days. Before parting with Luba Terde simply said, “Uncle I have reared and lived with Luba like my own sister, I have not spared it to anyone even on request at high price, it pains me inside to part with him and please plead Zoo authority to take due care of my Luba and give him access to meet her off and on at Itanagar Zoo.” Shri Terde Yomcha has a unique grace and quality to rear animals and birds and his love for animals and birds is immense. He prefers to rear wild animals and birds than the domestic ones. Earlier, he reared two birds in a unique manner to surprise the people at Yomcha, a crow named “Yaka” and a Mynah called “Moina” that went with him to school and tuition centres. Those birds were lost only after following him and missing the jungle says. tracks when he went out of Yomcha for a football tourney. The three separations so far hurt me a lot and they will live in my memory forever and ever.

DIPRO, Aalo