Bears Don’t Dig on Dancing Say Tim Minchin and the WSPA
Leave the first response February 17, 2009 / Posted in Animal Welfare, WSPAThe WSPA is working hard in with local communities in India and Pakistan to help eradicate the cruel and inhumane practice of “dancing” bears. Young cubs are caught, pierced through the nose or palate, a rope is passed through the fresh wound and used as its tether for the rest of its life.
The bears are deprived of their natural habitat, forced into unnatural behaviour and taken from village to village to “dance” providing entertainment for communities. The traditional bear owners in India are the Kalandars and they depend on the income from the bears to support their families. Public information campaigns have reduced the number of “dancing” bears seen around tourist routes in India, however, the Kalandars still have an audience in more remote communities where animal welfare campaigns have not yet reached.
WSPA research shows there are currently 150 “dancing” bears in India, a reduction from 400 in recent years. This is still too many and the charity are working with Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and Bioresource Research Center of Pakistan to increase welfare awareness programs for communities, enforce the anti-poaching laws, to help bear owners find alternative incomes and providing lifetime care for confiscated bears.
Tim Minchin, comedian and musician dedicated a song to the “dancing” bears in his UK tour called “Bears Don’t Dig on Dancing”. The video has had over 100,000 views on You Tube! The WSPA filmed thie video at the Edinburgh Fringe 2008. (Warning: does include some fruity language)
