Star saved from daily bear baiting horror
Apr 6, 2010
© WSPA
WSPA has received the wonderful news that Star, a badly wounded bear forced to fight in bear baiting events, has been rescued. Star is now safe and recovering from his injuries at the WSPA-funded Kund Park sanctuary in Pakistan.
Star first came to WSPA supporters’ attention in our Christmas 2009 appeal, when we told of our desperation to rescue him before he died of his injuries.
Sanctuary at last
Thanks to WSPA supporters, a black Asiatic bear named Star has been rescued from a traumatic existence as a fighting bear in baiting events in Pakistan.
Star was featured in WSPA’s Christmas 2009 appeal after Dr Fakhar-i-Abbas of WSPA member-society, the Bioresource Research Centre (BRC), told us of his fears that Star could die at any time from his terrible injuries.
Fakhar and his team at BRC were not able to rescue Star as the WSPA-funded Kund Park sanctuary was full. Sadly Star’s rescue was only made possible due to the unfortunate death of Sonia, a bear that had lived happily at the Kund Park sanctuary since 2001, from what seems to be a parasitic blood disease.
Rescued from pain and suffering
Star had terrible injuries to his muzzle and around his eyes and was underweight and malnourished. Because Star was the only source of income for his owner, he had been made to fight in numerous bear baiting events, never allowing his injuries time to heal. In one month he had to fight at eight bear baiting events, facing three rounds of attacks by trained fighting dogs each time.
If Star had not been rescued, his pain and trauma would have continued until he died from his injuries. WSPA supporters helped make it possible for Star to be rescued and given a peaceful life, safe at the WSPA-funded Kund Park sanctuary.
On the road to recovery
Star has been given initial treatment, including removing the nose-ring which had been brutally forced through his muzzle. He will need to be carefully monitored for a few weeks before he is fit enough to be released into the main enclosure with the other bears. After staring death in the face day after day, the future now looks bright for Star. Star has a good chance of a full recovery, the horror of his bear baiting days finally behind him.Building of new sanctuary is underway
WSPA supporters in the UK and around the world have responded with exceptional generosity to our appeal to raise the funds needed to build a much-needed second sanctuary for bears in Pakistan. With the original WSPA-built Kund Park sanctuary full, no more bears could be rescued from the cruel blood sport of bear baiting until a new sanctuary was built.
Work on the new bear sanctuary at Balkasar, Pakistan is well underway. We anticipate the build will be completed in May and the sanctuary will be ready to home rescued bears in June. WSPA hopes to be able to share many more stories of bears being rescued from bear baiting and to one day see an end to this cruel blood sport.
Give to our appeal to raise the sum needed to run the new sanctuary >>