When Bouncer was just 4 months old, he got caught in a snare trap that had been illegally set in a national park in Thailand. He was rescued by Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), who sadly determined that his leg needed to be amputated in order to save his life.
“The young, three-legged Bouncer could not be returned to the wild, as his mother could not be located and he would not survive on his own,” Paul Healey, press officer at WFFT, told The Dodo. “However, our dedicated staff helped rehabilitate him, [and] he grew from a scared little cub to the confident bear he is today.”
Bouncer is now 19 years old, and despite never being able to return to the wild, he lives a wonderful life at the sanctuary. His days are spent exploring and relaxing, and he doesn’t let having only three legs stand in his way.
“Missing a limb does not stop Bouncer from doing anything,” Healey said. “He has always been a keen climber, climbing all the structures in his habitat that include lookout towers.”
His favorite activity, though, always has and always will be relaxing in his hammock with a piece of watermelon.
Every day in the afternoon, Bouncer will climb into his favorite hammock with a piece of watermelon and settle himself in. He then spends hours swinging and relaxing, lazing the day away. It seems to be his favorite part of the day, and his carers love to watch him enjoying himself that way.
Bouncer had a rough start to life, but his rescuers stepped in quickly and turned things around for him. Now, his life is all about joy and relaxation — mostly revolving around hammocks and watermelon.