What happens to dancing bears?

Dancing bears used to be common on the streets and villages of Eastern Europe. These tamed wild animals were kept in captivity and trotted around for the purposes of entertainment.

Luckily, it seems that through the activity of animal welfare groups such as Four Paws, this practice is on its last legs everywhere in emerging Europe. Most countries in the region have made keeping bears captive illegal, and have cracked down on unlicensed circuses and zoos.

Four Paws is an international animal welfare organisation that rescues wild animals, operates several sanctuaries and lobbies for policies to help those animals still held captive in poor conditions.

Even though the last dancing and circus bears were freed in Bulgaria in 2007, and in Serbia in 2009, an alarming number of bears remain in captivity around the region. For instance, the last circus bear in Serbia was rescued only two years ago, in 2018.

Four Paws estimates the number of bears still held captive at more than one hundred. While they no longer dance, the conditions in which they are kept in are still horrendous. Often, the bears are placed in cages that are too small for them, and which are badly structured. In unlicensed zoos the animals are exposed to constant noise and gawking without anywhere to run and hide.

Things are getting better, and many governments have taken steps to help. But more can be done, according to Yavor Gechev, head of communications at Four Paws.

“The situation differs from country to country,” he says. “However, most governments, at least in the Balkans, are aware of the situation, mainly because of the internationally protected status of the brown bear.”

“Yet, not enough is being done to provide these and other animals in a similar situation with the best possible living conditions, especially when it comes to state control over substandard zoos,” he adds.

Protecting and rescuing these animals is the logical next step for the organisation.

“With the ban of wild animals in circuses [in Bulgaria] the next step for improving of the welfare of captive wild animals has been completed. And still there is a lot to be done for the captive bears who live in the zoos. Bulgaria has around 20 and most of them cannot reach the level of welfare that the animals deserve and of which today’s society would approve,” says Dimitar Ivanov, the manager of Dancing Bears Park Belitsa.

Belitsa is where many of the former dancing, circus, and captive bears have ended up. A sanctuary run jointly by Four Paws and the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, it is currently home to 21 bears.

“The goal of the sanctuary is to rescue bears that have been abused, badly treated, living in improper and horrifying conditions by providing them lifetime shelter with professional veterinarian care and high standards of welfare. The project started with the so called ‘dancing bears’, used in the past to entertain tourists and locals,” Mr Ivanov tells Emerging Europe.

And while it does seem the days of bears being held in captivity will soon be over, the work of Four Paws and Belitsa sanctuary is not done. A bear can live to be 30-years-old, after all.

That’s why Belitsa is committed to proving lifelong care for their wards, and keeps them in their natural habitat.

“The sanctuary offers a natural habitat – diverse forests consisting mainly of pine trees and beaches, meadows and shrubs. The sanctuary is covering an area of twelve hectares, which are divided into seven enclosures. The bears are supported with food and an enrichment programme,” Mr Ivanov explains.

Another tool that Four Paws has at its disposal is the famous Bear Ambulance. This specially equipped vehicle can be used to safely transport bears to one of Four Paw’s sanctuaries once they are rescued.

“We needed a modern professional vehicle that could transport the animals with high welfare standards, but also to be functional for small veterinarian interactions,” Mr Ivanov says.

“In the last couple of years the bear ambulance was used for transporting bears from Albania to Germany and Bulgaria, from Serbia to Switzerland, internally in Bulgaria and for vet checks in North Macedonia.”

While dancing bears are not a common sight in southeastern Europe anymore, it’s worth noting exactly how brutal and cruel the practice was.

Behind the jolly exterior, there was torture. In order to learn how to “dance” bears were trained by placing them on metal platforms above burning coals. That would cause the bear to get up on its hind legs, while a nose ring connected to a rope was used to inflict additional pain with a drum beat accompanying the entire process.

Over time, the bears would come to associate the sounds of drums with pain and begin “dancing” when they heard it.

Now these days are mostly over, but Four Paws still has its work cut out given the number of bears still held captive around the region. One of the reasons states can be reluctant to go after substandard zoos is the money needed to provide proper housing once they’re taken away. And this is precisely where the organisation can help.

“With all our bear parks in South-Eastern Europe we were able to assist state authorities in their efforts to solve an animal welfare issue related to bears by providing the best possible solution for the animals,” Mr Gechev concludes.

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Top photo courtesy Four Paws.

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In the wild, bears are rather dangerous creatures. They are known for their large claws that can shred through tree trunks, or unwelcome predators, and their sharp, menacing teeth can instill fear in even the most courageous human. However, this intimidating persona (sadly) does not exempt these animals from becoming the victims of many human activities.

Some bear species are endangered by Traditional Medicine, targeted for their paws or bile, while more still, fall prey to the entertainment industry. You have probably seen bears appear in zoos, or the circus, but you might be unfamiliar with the concept of a “dancing bear.”

The History of the Dancing Bear

Dancing bears were made illegal in India in 1972, and in 2009 all the dancing bears in the country were liberated marking the end of this tradition.

Bears used as dancing bears were typically sloth bears, a species that has been classified as vulnerable by IUCN. There are only around 20,000 sloth bears currently documented in the wild. Most often sloth bears were poached from the wild at a young age and sold into the dancing bear trade. From there they would be purchased by a “trainer” who will teach them to dance for a profit. To do so, bears were “conditioned,” a process that involves removing the bear’s canine teeth without anesthesia. Bears were also subjected to having their snout pierced with a hot metal rod. A rope would then be inserted into the piercing as a way to control the bear while it danced. This process is as excruciating and horrid as it sounds.

There are a number of organizations that have made it their top priority to rescue bears who formerly served as dancing bears. One of which is International Animal Rescue (IAR), an organization that works to combat poaching of the sloth bear and to collaborate with sanctuaries, such as Wildlife SOS, to rehabilitate the animals.

Bobby, Bintha, and Bean are three bears who were rescued thanks to IAR and Wildlife SOS, here is their story.

Three Bears Rescued From the Grips of Poachers

Back in December of 2013, Wildlife SOS was able to apprehend three sloth bears from poachers with the help of local police and the forestry department. The bears were eventually confiscated from poachers who had been harboring the bears in Nepal, waiting until they had grown large enough for sale. When the bears were old enough to be sold, the poachers brought them into India, hoping to sell the bears to the Kalandar community who traditionally used bears for dancing.

However, given that this community has done away with the tradition, they were unwilling to purchase the animals and the poachers paraded the bears back to Nepal, where upon they were apprehended by authorities. It is believed that had authorities not intervened, the bears would have been sold to make bear paw soup.

After being rescued by Wildlife SOS and local authorities, the bears were moved to Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park in Ranchi for immediate care. These bears, named Bintha, Bean, and Bobby have since been moved to the Wildlife SOS sanctuary where they are free to lead happy lives in the company of the sanctuary’s other bears. Here is how the bears have progressed since their arrival at the sanctuary.

Bean

Bean was only three-years-old when he was rescued from poachers. Despite his young age, Bean had already known a whole-life’s worth of pain. Bean had a rope pierced through his nose and his canines had been forcibly removed. Luckily, veterinarians were able to remove the rope from his nose and treat the little bear for pain.

After a period of quarantine, Bean was given a clean bill of health and allowed to move into the socialization pen with the other bears at the sanctuary. This little bear is described as “a simple bear” who keeps himself occupied digging for termites or playing with the bells in the enclosure. Bean reportedly loves his caretaker and can be spotted playing with him at any given hour of the day – that is when he’s not munching on watermelon and porridge! Bean has also developed a close relationship with Bintha bear and they love to play wrestle and chase one another.

Bintha

Bintha was only 11-months-old when she was rescued by the Wildlife SOS team. Like Bean, her nose had been pierced and harnessed with a rope that when pulled tight by her owner prevented the wound from healing. This wound has since healed, although her little snout still bears the scars.

She weighed very little when she first arrived at the Agra-based facility, but has since gained a healthy appetite for fruit – her favorites include pomegranate and watermelon. Her caretakers describe her as a “playful,” even “mischievous” bear who is “always up for shenanigans.”

With Bean by her side, Bintha has, “acquired new skills of breaking enrichments,bringing down the wobble basket and undoing the ropes holding the climbing frames in place.” Her caretaker continues, “She is always determined to bring down the enrichment as quickly as possible.”

Bobby

Bobby bear is the more reserved of the three, where Bintha and Bean are more happy-go-lucky in nature, Bobby is very selective about the friends he keeps. Sanctuary caretakers had to bribe Bobby with his favorite food – dates – to gain his favor. Bobby has made one great friend at the sanctuary, Akki, another male sloth bear and the two are near inseparable.

During the hot summer months Bobby and Akki like to climb trees and take naps. You’ll notice Bobby’s long claws which make climbing much easier for a curious bear. Once Bobby has lived in the socialization enclosure long enough to learn the basics of being a wild sloth bear, he will be given access to the free-roaming forest area where he can live like a wild bear would, except with the added security of the Wildlife SOS team.

Hope for Other Bears

Bobby, Bintha, and Bean are just three of the bears who have been rescued thanks to the collaborative efforts of IAR and Wildlife SOS. Both groups are dedicated to seeing that the dancing bear becomes a forgotten tradition and will continue to combat poaching of the vulnerable sloth bear species.

To learn more about IAR, check out their website here. To keep up to date on the progress of Bintha, Bean, and Bobby, be sure to follow the Wildlife SOS blog. You can help make sure that these three bears are kept in their favorite fruits and toys by signing up to sponsor a bear through Wildlife SOS, for more information click here.

All images courtesy of Wildlife SOS