Indian Sloth Bears

For more than 400 years sloth bears in India were exploited as dancing bears. A nomadic tribe known as the Kalandars would ‘dance’ the bears for the emperors during the Mughal era. Then, over the centuries, as the kingdoms in India disappeared, the dancing bears became cheap roadside entertainment for villagers and tourists who paid to watch them ‘perform.’ In reality the bears were reacting to excruciating pain.

The practice of dancing bears was made illegal in India in 1972. Working with our Indian partners Wildlife SOS (WSOS) we rescued more than 620 dancing bears and in 2009 together we rescued the very last one off the streets. The survivors of this cruel trade live in sanctuaries in India where they receive loving care and enjoy a peaceful and pain-free retirement.