GUNA This young mischievous bear is called "GUNA" because our team of One Voice and Wildlife SOS, on one of their raids during the Anti Poaching season, rescued him from a place called Guna, in the forests of Uttar Pradesh- so his Indian name became "GUNA". Interestingly, GUNA also means crime- for no crime of his; this poor bear cub was separated from his mother. When this terrified cub was barely three months old, the traders who had purchased him from the cruel poachers decided not to wait till he was older and pierced his tender muzzle using a hot red needle. The trauma for this baby bear was too much since cubs are too small at this age and the Qalandars normally wait till 6 months before the first nose piercing.

The Forest watch! Anti poaching team from One Voice & Wildlife SOS had already seized two cubs before they reached GUNA. His piercing wails brought tears to the eyes of our team members, all of whom have been hardened by many tough experiences. Guna cried all the way during the 12 hours drive from the village where he had been stored in a sack to the Agra Bear Rescue facility, and his whimpering only stopped when the gentle hands of the vets and our team had cut the rope, and under anaesthesia, slowly, very slowly removed the rope, the metal hooks and the knots- all designed to train the cub with agony as their only tool. In so many years that we have rescued cubs and bears, this stands out in our memory as a bitter scene because it was the first time we found a cub just after the nose piercing had happened, rather just a few hours after this gruesome practice.
Although we love all the cubs just the same and rear them with equal care, Guna knew something terrible had been done to him which the others had escaped. He remained 'different' and was very cautious about playing with the other cubs; he never took the lead in approaching us or in fighting for the food or in playing wrestling games. In fact, it was a great setback for Guna's personality. Guna shied away from human hands and the pain stopped him from eating or drinking well. He came to us on 21.03.04 weighing just 12 kg.
After nine months of loving care it is difficult for anyone to tell that Guna had such a bad start. He now weighs 103 kg and is plump and playful. Though he has now grown bigger than all the other cubs and will soon be a handsome big bear, Guna never fights; he knows his canines have been smashed early when he was a little cub and his friends still have their canines! When his adult teeth grow out Guna will have all his teeth but we think he will continue to be a gentle giant. He approaches people boldly, doesn't hide behind trees and doors any longer and is willing to climb any tree, jump and wrestle endlessly and play in his pond for hours. Now, Guna loves eating and chews on his rotis and fruits, gulps his milk and honey with great relish. He adores mangoes, pomegranates, and apples. Most of our bears don't eat bananas but Guna does. He, as all the other cubs, gets vitamins, tonics, soaked and cooked soybeans and eggs. If Guna has one fault, it is his habit of gulping down food too fast, which is why he has suffered bouts of indigestion and gastritis once. He is two years and six months old today, and has forgotten and forgiven the moments of terror he experienced.