India, Dec. 28 -- Rscued elephants / bears and their dedicated caregivers celebrated Christmas at the Wildlife SOS centres in Agra, Mathura and Bengaluru. Trees were decorated with bells, stars, and miniature Santa ornaments, while caregivers dressed as Santa Claus joined the celebrations alongside the resident animals creating a joyful atmosphere. Wrapped mystery boxes filled with popcorn, peanuts, dates, coconut and honey were placed as surprise enrichments, encouraging curiosity and natural foraging behaviour. "At the Agra Bear Rescue Facility, Sloth bears Mowgli, Ron, Molly, Digit, Gambhir and Valmiki were delighted to discover surprise gift boxes placed inside their enclosures, drawn in by the scent of honey, dates and popcorn. Young elephant Bani was presented with her own Christmas enrichment," according to a Wildlife SOS media release. Bani has waged a heroic struggle after she was paralysed in a train collision in which she also lost her mother. Her stirring story of hope was carried in these columns in February and March 2024. Bani has since regained much of the function in her legs thanks to the dedicated efforts of SOS veterinarians, caregivers and collaborative efforts of international experts. However, the aura of well being that attends the rescued bears and elephants should not shroud the larger picture of a wounded wilderness. The latest DNA-based elephant census conducted under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests reveals a decline of 7,518 specimens since the last one in 2017, which showed 29,964 gentle giants across India. Wildlife SOS estimates 94 elephant deaths in train hits since 2019, including eight on December 20, 2025, in Assam. The need of the hour is for governments to adopt proven technologies that detect elephant movement near railway tracks and provide early warnings to train operators. If properly implemented, the technologies dramatically reduce or totally eliminate collisions....