OUTRAGE FOR THE DANCING BEARS IN PAKISTAN – JOIN TOGETHER TO DEMAND A STOP TO THIS BARBARIC TORTURE

The sad plight of the dancing bears in Pakistan MUST be stopped NOW!!

Immediate action needs to be taken by the Pakistan Government to locate and release all the remaining dancing bears from their horrific confinement and the lifetime of physical and mental distress that they have been forced to endure at the hands of their owners/handlers.

These bears need veterinary assessment and treatment along with follow up care at a sanctuary suitable for their needs.

There have already been over 350 bears released into sanctuaries. It is now time to enforce the 1972 law put in place by the Indian Government to outlaw dancing bears.

Perhaps you have travelled to Pakistan and “enjoyed” watching these beautiful bears “perform” their dance? How could something so gruesome and tortuous have been allowed to continue for all these years? What makes this even more distressing is the fact that this law has been in place since 1972 and has been acted upon to some degree.

https://ciccib.wordpress.com/2013/11/03/a-life-with-constant-pain-for-the-dancing-bears/

https://www.wintonbearfoundation.org/unbearable

The pain in the bears eyes should convey to all that this is a sickening act that must be forced to end forever.
These bears have a rope or chain forced through their nose and the trainer will pull on this to “encourage” the bear to “dance”. Imagine the jolt of intense pain every time this happens!

The bears are poached from the wild as cubs. The mothers are usually killed as they try to protect their babies. Some of these cubs will die, traumatised from shock before “training” begins. The cubs (those who are “lucky” enough to survive) are sold to a trainer who then begins to “train” these babies. Scared and suddenly confined with chains or in small cages, they will never know freedom or feel love again. The rest of their lives will be nothing but pain and misery.
The trainer, using no anaesthesia, jams a red hot poker or a piece of unhygienic metal through the snout or lip to make a permanent hole to allow a rope or chain to be used to control the bear. At the same time they will also break or knock out all the cub’s teeth so they won’t be able to bite. The last step to ensure the trainers “safety” is to either pull out the claws or clip them very short.
“Training” now begins, these traumatised little cubs are beaten with sticks to teach them to stand and move their hind legs – “performing the dance”. To encourage movement whenever he wants, the trainer just pulls the rope which causes immense pain. Another method of teaching the bears to dance is to force them up on to hot plates above burning logs. With no chance of escaping the burning pain the cubs have to lift their feet over and over again while music is being played. The idea behind this is to make the bear associate music with pain, these lessons will continue for weeks or months until the bear is performing as the trainer wants. Every time the bear “dances” for the public he is reliving the horrible burning pain, over and over.

The most widely used bear for this horrific practice from the Middle Ages is the sloth bear. The termite eating sloth bear is at risk of extinction due to hunting and smaller habitats. These bears carry their cubs on their backs. Some Asiatic black bears are also used. In the wild a sloth bear can live for more than 20 years. However, in captivity, a dancing bear rarely lives past the age of 7 or 8.

In 1972 the Indian Government outlawed bear dancing. However, the practice has continued partly due to the fact that the Kalandar tribe had no alternative to this means of making money, and also, until the early 21st century there was no place suitable to relocate the confiscated bears. Enforcement of the Law was therefore somewhat pointless. Special licenses were granted to the Kalandar to allow them to continue while a bear sanctuary could be built at Agra by the WSPA and Wildlife SOS.
(The Kalandar of India are recognised by the Indian Government as an economically deprived tribe.)

2003 saw the first two dozen rescued bears moved to the Agra sanctuary. Since then more than 350 bears have gone to the sanctuary. There are two others, all of which are run by Wildlife SOS; other animal-welfare organisations contribute funding. The sanctuaries provide swimming pools and dens.
Once rescued the bears have to be quarantined and given veterinary care. Once they are healthy enough to undergo surgery, they have the ropes removed from their noses. The majority are usually badly infected and bleeding. The bears are taught to socialise in a more natural “bearlike” state. The majority will never return to the wild.

These bears deserve their freedom, they will never experience the natural life that should have been theirs. Instead they have been exploited for money and for human "entertainment". 

http://pawspakistan.org/2007/05/30/horror-film-about-dancing-bears-banned-by-pakistan-tv/

https://aminals.org/category/bear-rights-in-pakistan/

Mar18, 2014  What Can Be Done to Stop Cruelty to Dancing Bears?

• "Run awareness programs to educate the public about bear rights.
• Initiate education and awareness projects for school children.
• Create awareness amongst the public and the tourists not to encourage bear dancing and watch such shows.
• Ask the law enforcement officials to prevent cubs being poached, and prevent the capture of cubs by training forest guards in effective enforcement techniques.
• Plant a microchip in each bear to prevent new ones from entering the existing dancing bear population.
• Build proper national parks where suitable lifetime care is provided for confiscated bears.
• Rehabilitate and release rescued cubs back into the wild wherever possible.
• Help the bear owners to find new, cruelty-free ways to earn a living, which would help benefit the next generation.
• Drastically modify if not totally re-enact the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1890, and enhance the penalties given under the law."

https://aminals.org/category/bear-rights-in-pakistan/

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**Photo credit: PIXABAY

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