Rescued! No More Dancing for the 600 Dancing Bears of India

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Raju, the last of India’s 600 dancing bears, is now safe and secure in an Indian sanctuary where he, along with all the other bears, will live for the remainder of their lives.

For generations, dancing bears were an all too common sight in India.  Many of the bears “entertained” tourists by smoking cigarettes, playing air guitars and dancing.  Kalandar gypsies started the practice in the 16th century in order to earn a living.   But despite being outlawed in 1972, the disturbing practice continued.

The Cruel and Barbaric Dancing Bear Practice

Rampant poaching of the endangered sloth bear resulted in near extinction of the species. Mother bears were brutally killed in order to poach the endangered cubs. The cubs’ claws were then removed and their teeth were smashed with iron bars.  Hot pokers and needles were used to make holes in the bears’ sensitive muzzles in order for ropes to pass through the nostrils. In order to teach them how to dance, cubs were often forced to stand on hot coals or in pans over hot fires, making them hop from foot-to-foot, simulating dance moves. Bears were often castrated to make them less aggressive and many were given liquor to subdue them. Bears were then “taught” to dance by their “handlers” by yanking on the ropes and hitting their feet.  As a result of the cruelty, many bears died which led to even more poaching.

Saving the Dancing Bears

International Animal Rescue  (IAR), along with other animal welfare groups from around the world including Free the Bears Fund (FTB), One Voice Association, Wildlife SOS of India, took part in the international effort to rescue the bears and place them in one of four animal sanctuaries in India.  Rehabilitation packages were given to bear owners who gave up the bears. 

The effort began in 2002 when six dancing bears were rescued and brought to a rescue center.  Today, over 600 bears have been rescued in the effort.  Special veterinary care will be given to the rescued bears in order to heal their many wounds. After a quarantine period, the bears will then be allowed to socialize with other bears. Although the bears can never be returned to the wild, they will live out the remainder of their lives in the safety of the sanctuaries.

Sloth Bear

The reclusive sloth, Melursus ursinus, lives primarily on fruit, termites and ants. Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, poaching and habitat loss are the main threat to the species.

Photo captive sloth bear Pushkar 88