In Arunachal Pradesh, saving the Asiatic black bear from wildlife trade needs a nuanced approach
Conservation traditions that are ingrained in the local tribal lifestyles need to be recognised and integrated into mainstream policies. An Asiatic black bear in Assam State Zoo. | Sumit Das via Mongabay India
When Terde Yomcha brought Luba home, she was so tiny that she could fit in his hands. Luba is an Asiatic black bear cub – a species threatened by illegal wildlife trade and marked as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Terde bought her for Rs 1,000 from a local hunter in his village of Lipu Yomcha in the East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh in February last year.