Julia Roberts Named A Rescued Dancing Bear 17 Years Ago And He Now Naps In A Custom Hammock.

Seventeen years ago, a sloth bear who had been forced to dance for tourists and kept in a cage whenever he was not performing was rescued in India, and when actor Julia Roberts visited the sanctuary in 2009 while filming Eat, Pray, Love, she gave him the name Odum, which is thought to be an old family name. Odum is now 26 years old, and ahead of World Sloth Bear Day on October 12, International Animal Rescue shared new photos of him relaxing in a hammock that was made especially for him at the Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre, part of the Wildlife SOS rescue center in India. According to the rescue staff, his days are calm and unhurried, with Odum spending his time eating a ripe muskmelon, splashing in his pool, and dozing in his custom hammock, which is a long way from the life he once knew.

The charity says the photos are meant to show that a rescue does not end on the day an animal reaches safety, since caregivers, sanctuaries, and donors have kept up years of steady care to get Odum to this point, and he will keep needing it as he ages. "Odum's story illustrates the beautiful outcome that rescue operations can achieve," said International Animal Rescue president Alan Knight, who added, "Our responsibility does not cease when an animal has reached safety," and noted that as Odum gets older he will still require the same patience, kindness, and specialized care that helped him recover all those years ago. Donations made through the International Animal Rescue website help fund that ongoing care, so a bear who once danced for strangers now gets to nap whenever he likes.

Source:https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/india-sloth-bear-once-forced-111500475.html