Indian Sloth Bear
Project Introduction
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.
Mother bears were killed so that poachers could take and sell their cubs to perpetuate this barbaric practice. Through underground trading as many as 200 cubs a year would end up in the hands of the Kalandars. Without administering any anaesthetic, a red hot iron rod would be driven through the muzzle of the bear cub which was usually only about six months old. A coarse rope would then be threaded through the open wound. The rope would be tugged and yanked to make the bear ‘dance’ and for many bears over the years, a life at the end of a rope was all they knew.
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.
Our Work with Sloth Bears
In 2002 we helped our partners Wildlife SOS (WSOS) complete the construction of the Agra Bear Rescue Facility, enabling us to rescue the first six bears on 24 December 2002. From then on the project went from strength to strength, becoming so successful that by the end of 2009 we had rescued all the dancing bears from the streets of India. The majority are housed in Agra, others at a second sanctuary in Bannerghatta near Bangalore in the south and a small number at a third centre in Bhopal, central India.
We are committed to providing the rescued bears with a safe haven where they can live free from fear and pain for the rest of their lives. We aim to give them not only food and shelter but an environment which is as close as possible to life in the wild. The bears have plenty of trees to climb in the free-roaming forest and bathing pools where they can play and cool down in the heat of the day. We work hard to keep the bears healthy and happy. They are given regular medical and dental checks and enjoy a range of environmental enrichment to keep them mentally and physically active.
Since the rescue of the last dancing bear in India, investigations have shown that some bears have been smuggled across the border into Nepal by their Kalandar handlers and continue to suffer cruelty and abuse. We will continue to support Wildlife SOS in their efforts to track down the smugglers and cut these bears free.
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Top Sloth Bear Facts
- The Indian Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus) can be easily recognised by his shaggy black coat, long muzzle, protruding lip and by a white V-shaped patch on the chest.
- Sloth bears feed predominantly on termites and ants and employ a well-evolved method to dig them out.
- Their long, curved claws are used for penetrating insect mounds, which can be rock-hard.
- Sloth bears are solitary creatures and generally nocturnal. They grow up to 160cm in length and can weigh up to 80kgs.
- After a 6-7 month gestation period, sloth bears normally give birth to a litter of two cubs in an underground den. The cubs will often ride on their mother’s back, a unique trait among bears.
- Sloth bears are classified as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List. They are threatened by habitat loss, poaching for body parts and are sometimes captured for use in public entertainment or persecuted because they come into conflict with local villagers.
- Lifespan: Up to 40 years
- Height: 150 to 160cm