One of the Himalayan bear cubs seen atop the 60-foot-tall deodar tree within their enclosure at the Himalaya Nature Park in Kufri, Shimla. (Express Photo by Saurabh Parashar)
Two nine-month-old Himalayan black bear cubs have emerged as a major attraction for visitors at the Himalaya Nature Park, a mini zoo located at Kufri in Shimla.
The park, situated at an altitude of around 2,400 metres above sea level, is currently drawing a large number of tourists, many of whom are captivated by the male cubs’ lively and natural behaviour.
The cubs, named Harry and Bruno, were born in May 2025 to Shyamu and Dolly. Visitors are particularly fascinated by the cubs’ playful antics, which include competing with each other to climb a nearly 60-foot-tall deodar tree within their enclosure. The cubs are frequently seen pulling each other down while racing to the top, scratching one another during play, and occasionally being disciplined by their mother, sometimes with a snub or a gentle slap.
‘Tree-climbing skills a major attraction’
TL;DR: Shahnawaz Ahmed Bhatt, Divisional Forest Officer, Shimla, told The Indian Express that the natural behaviour of the cubs, particularly their instinctive tree-climbing skills, proves quite entertaining for visitors.
Shahnawaz Ahmed Bhatt, Divisional Forest Officer, Shimla, told The Indian Express that the natural behaviour of the cubs, particularly their instinctive tree-climbing skills, proves quite entertaining for visitors. “A large number of tourists visiting the park come from the plains, such as Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, where coniferous trees like deodars are not found. Many of these visitors have never seen bears display such natural climbing behaviour, even in zoos in their home states,” he said.
Tarun Panda, a tourist from Odisha who visited the park with his family, said the Asiatic black bear enclosure stood out from the rest. “I found the bear enclosure more vibrant than any other in the zoo, although I have seen black bears in a zoo near Cuttack,” he said. The Himalayan black bear is a subspecies of the Asiatic black bear.
An officer at the zoo said that besides being an instinctive skill, bears also learn to climb tall trees from their mother. “As a precaution, we cut down some branches of the tall deodar trees inside the enclosure as Dolly was teaching her cubs to jump from one branch to another,” he added.
The Indian Express visited Himalaya Nature Park on January 22, a day before heavy snowfall hit the region. During the visit, one of the cubs was seen perched atop a deodar tree. Shortly afterwards, the second cub attempted to follow it, but his sibling repeatedly prevented him from reaching the top.
The cubs in their enclosure at the Himalaya Nature Park, a mini zoo located at Kufri in Shimla, on Tuesday. (Express Photo)
Father kept away to ‘prevent attack’
TL;DR: A caretaker at the zoo said that though the bear family shares an enclosure, the adult male, Shyamu, is not allowed into the open area with the cubs and their mother.
A caretaker at the zoo said that though the bear family shares an enclosure, the adult male, Shyamu, is not allowed into the open area with the cubs and their mother. “As per natural behaviour, the father may harm or even kill the cubs to keep other males away from his mate,” the caretaker said.
He added that the enclosure has two sections, with a shared open space. “We release Dolly and the cubs together into the open area. Shyamu is allowed in the open space only after the cubs and their mother are brought back to their section,” he said.
Besides the Asiatic black bears, the nature park is home to several Himalayan species, including common leopards, musk deer, Himalayan thar, sambar and a wide variety of bird species, making it a popular destination during peak travel seasons.
Curated by Shiv Shakti Mishra
