Help the dancing bears!

[Guest guest]

*Help the dancing bears!*

 

 

 

 

The Dancing Bears of India are a tragic spectacle, which takes place as a

cruel tradition. At the age of three to five weeks, tiny sloth bears are

kidnapped and their mothers are killed. They then start the long journey to

the Kalander village where they will start their training to become a real

dancing bear. A WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) report

showed that sixty to seventy percent of the cubs that were taken from the

wild died, even before they reached their destination. This was caused from

dehydration, starvation and trauma.

 

If the bears reach the Kalander village, the next ordeal in which the bears

go through, is the piercing of their ultra-sensitive muzzle. The bear is

held down by a group of men while an iron needle, previously heated in a

coal fire, is inserted into the squealing bear cub. No anaesthetic is used

for this. A control rope is then shoved into the piercing, which usually

gets infected. When the rope attached to the draumatised bear is tugged and

a heavy stick is clapped, the bear is motivated to lift its legs and

'dance.'

 

Before the bear is one year old, its incisor and canine teeth are ripped out

and sold as lucky charms. These are usually fairly expensive to buy. As the

toothless bear is unable to eat its normal diet, it is limited to lentils

and chapatis. This often gives the bears terminal intestinal disorders.

 

Approximately 1,200 bears in India go through this. The Kalander's earn

their income through the bear dancing to music for tourists, for up to

twelve hours a day on it's tired, hind legs. The tourists throw money at the

bear and think of it as great entertainment. This tragic spectacle is

actually a tradition which is set back to the 16th century, when bears were

forced to dance for the amusement of ruling classes.

 

There is a law, which was made to stop the capturing and trading of bears in

India under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act in 1972. Even thought this

has been made illegal. This law barely exists. These bears are still seen

along the roads of Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. The bears are sold for about

8,000 rupees and the owner earns around 3,000 rupees (which is the

equivelant to sixty-six dollars) every month.

 

The sloth bears normal life expectancy is approximately thirty years in its

natural living environment. Sadly, India's dancing bears barely ever live

past the age of eight. Once the bear is captured and tammed, it can never be

returned to the wild. The only possible answer for these poor creatures is

retirement in a sanctuary. If this horrible form of entertainment continues,

this beautiful species will surely become extinct.

 

 

 

please help these bears today. They need you!

 

Please sign these petitions:

 

*to the Indian Government*<http://www.petitiononline.com/chloe/petition.html>

 

*Environmental Minister of

India*<http://www.petitiononline.com/t1d2b3/petition.html>

 

Thank you for reading. If you need any more information please visit the

WSPA website, google, or send a message to me (EAST - End Animal Suffering

Today) via myspace or e-mail (east_myspace). Thank you, once

again.

 

--

" The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows. "

-Buddha

 

~~

Ning's Space: www.myspace.com/theprisonwebuilt