Good news for bears!
Oct 1, 2008
© WSPA
WSPA member societies working with bears in India and Pakistan have both had some great successes recently.
Four sloth bears, including a cub, were rescued from a life spent ‘dancing’ by authorities in Nepal last week, acting on information provided by WSPA member society the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).
Meanwhile, WSPA member society the Bioresource Research Center of Pakistan (BRC) has seen its persistence and professionalism pay off again this month, as a former bear baiter gave his last remaining bear the chance of a better life at the Kund Park sanctuary.
India’s dancing bears
© WSPA
The rescued bears were three adults that had been trained to dance and a young cub. They were all destined to be sold to Kalandars – nomadic bear owners – in India before authorities intervened.
This illegal cross-border wildlife trade in poached bears sells the animals into a lifetime of suffering, as they are forced into unnatural behaviours, become ill from poor diets, and often develop repetitive behaviours that indicate mental trauma.
WTI and WSPA initiated the Integrated Sloth Bear Conservation and Welfare Project in 2005 to work towards the holistic conservation of sloth bears in India, by providing alternative livelihoods for Kalandars and ensuring that the bears do not endure lifelong distress.
Read the full rescue story on WTI’s website >>
Learn more about WSPA’s work with dancing bears >>
Bear baiting in Pakistan
In Pakistan, BRC’s effective local landlord networking approach had convinced Sufi Muhammad Rafique – once one of the most determined bear baiting organisers in Sindh province – to turn his back on this brutal sport in 2005. But when he gave up his animals to sanctuary life, he kept one last bear, a cub.
Over the years, the network kept visiting Rafique, trying to convince him to give up the last bear. He eventually agreed to visit WSPA's Kund Park Sanctuary, promising that if the conditions there were better than those he could provide, he would release the animal to WSPA’s care.
Last month, Mr Rafique and his whole family visited the sanctuary for a two-day visit, his diligence demonstrating how far his feelings about animal welfare have changed. Having seen for himself how much fuller the bear’s life could be, he finally let it go.
Now a sanctuary resident, this never forgotten bear is finally able to experience a natural, wild home, with trees, grass and pools to play in and explore.
With your continued support, ending bear baiting altogether is a real possibility. Just last month, BRC won over more regional landlords and convinced four owners to send their bears to WSPA’s Kund Park sanctuary. All four bears were in very bad condition and required medical treatment, but are now improving steadily. BRC gave two of the former bear owners motorcycle rickshaws – an alternative, sustainable livelihood prevents families turning back to animal cruelty.