This is not a description of some strange torture from the dark ages; this is the life of a ‘dancing’ bear, found mostly in Pakistan and India. These bears are made to dance on the street or in circuses solely for the enjoyment of an audience. Dancing bears may seem like a strange phenomenon to those not familiar with the process, but it’s a huge problem.

The bears used are taken from their natural environments as cubs when the mother is away. When she returns to the scene she’s often shot so her valuable organs can be sold for traditional Chinese medicine cures. The cubs are then piled into a van and embark on a long journey so perilous 65% die from neglect or dehydration before even reaching their destination. The bears are treated as a dispensable commodity.

When those who survive arrive to be sold to trainers, they endure the piercing of a ring and rope through their muzzle flesh and cartilage without anaesthetic. This is then tugged on in preparation to train the bear to ‘dance’. The actual dancing is a shuffling on the bear’s hind legs caused by the constant raw pain at the muzzle. The wounds are never allowed to heal, reopening at each pull. The bears can be found in the streets, dancing for donation from local kids and tourists who pose for photos.

Poachers usually capture Sloth easily . Sloth bears are solitary creatures, who normally roam alone and peacefully at night. Unsurprisingly they can be aggressive on creatures when threatened. Dancing Ssloth bears try to defend themselves against the chaos, taunting and suffering they are subjected to; but like their freedom, the ability to use their natural instincts areis also taken from them when keepers break or remove their teeth and claws. Some of the younger bears are able to grow them back over time, but older bears have no hope of rehabilitation back to the wild. They are left without their dignity, unable to defend themselves as breathing teddy bears.

Why does it happen I hear you ask? Surely people wouldn’t pay to see a magnificent animal in such pain and submission? But clearly they do. Often for the bear owner this is a traditional way of earning money to feed his family. Money from just a few comparatively rich tourists can make a big differencet. When you are poor, jobs are scarce and bear dancing is part of your culture, this can be incentive enough. Many tourists and travellers are aware enough to realise the reality for these precious creatures but some will see the drums and dancing as a sign the bear is happy to obeys his master when he is simply trying to stop the pain.

The long term effects of this lifestyle of cruelty are unspeakable. Some bears are so traumatised by the experience that they develop serious mental conditions. They can be seen making short repetitive movements, much like the rocking of a mentally unwell human. If you watch the information film at www.wspa-international.org this is one of the most heart breaking things you will see. It shows like us that these bears are capable of emotional trauma and stress. Many bears develop illnesses such as cataracts from the lack of nutrition and care provided.

These bears should be in the wild living their lives instead of beingliving at the mercy of a being almost 150 pounds lighter than them, and it won’t be too long before they are yet another innocent species threatened with extinction. Although not yet endangered they are considered vulnerable. Not only from the possibility of capture for performance or organ use but from threatened habitats and food sources.

The people on the other end of the rope rely on the bears and for some it’s all they’ve ever known. It’s a much longer process than just confiscating the bears to end it, as new bears will just be captured and used because they don’t know what else they can do. But there is hope. Dancing bears are being helped by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). The WSPA are trying to put a stop to this tradition in India and Pakistan by educating locals and supporting them to find new ways they can earn money to help the bears end the tradition and find hope for their children to find a life non-reliant on bearsthe dancing. They have already succeeded to stop this entertainment in countries like Turkey and Greece. Bear sanctuaries have been set up globally to habituate and nurture them back to health.

Emma Barker

back to top