In a joint operation conducted by Delhi based NGO – Wildlife SOS along with the Bihar Police, Special Auxillary Police, and the Bihar Forest Department two persons were arrested and five live bear cubs were recovered from Khadagpur Haveli, district Munger in Bihar. The bear cubs are presently housed in Patna zoo and may be shifted to the Agra Bear Rescue Facility run by Wildlife SOS.
The operation was conducted based on the intelligence provided by Wildlife SOS's anti-poaching network “Forestwatch”, run in association with One Voice France. “The five bear cubs that were recovered are between 3 to 4 months old and have been poached after their mothers have been killed” said Kartick Satyanarayan Co-Founder & Chairman of Wildlife SOS.
The operation team consisted of over 50 armed enforcement officers and five jeeps including a bullet proof gypsy belonging to the Special Auxillary Police. The team raided the location in the early hours of the morning on 11th April, 2007 in Navi Nagar settlement, Haveli Khadagpur, located in Munger district of Bihar. The two persons arrested were Kalandar smugglers who had purchased these bear cubs for Rs. 800 from Poachers in West Bengal and transported the cubs to Bihar.
All five rescued cubs are males, all of them had freshly pierced wounds in their delicate muzzles through which ropes had already been passed. “Wildlife SOS shall be providing expert veterinary care and a specialized cub keeper for the bear cubs” said Dr.Arun A Sha – Wildlife SOS Veterinarian & bear expert
According to Rohit Singh, Wildlife SOS investigator and a part of the raiding squad," We were able to rescue these cubs thanks to the tremendous amount of support and cooperation extended to us by Director General of Police (Bihar) Mr. Ashish Ranjan Sinha, the Superintendent of Police (Munger District) Mr. Ravindran Shankaran and the Chief Wildlife Warden of the Bihar Forest Department”.
Wildlife SOS & One Voice Association maintain a nation wide intelligence and surveillance network to keep a watch on trade routes and Kalandar settlements in the country to control the poaching and removal of bear cubs for the cruel "dancing bear trade" , which sadly persists in India even though it is illegal as per The Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Thanks to the cooperation that Wildlife SOS has received fromForest Departments and law enforcement agencies throughout the country, Wildlife SOS has been able to rescue over 380 bears from leading a life of pain and agony as 'dancing bears'".
Wildlife SOS (WSOS) runs four Bear Rescue Centres across India to address the issue of Dancing Bears. Members of the Kalandar community are encouraged to give up the practice of Dancing Bears by Wildlife SOS and surrender their Bears. In return WSOS provides assistance to establish themselves in alternative livelihoods. The 160 acre Agra Bear Rescue Facility, is the biggest facility of its kind in the world for Dancing Sloth Bears. The Center is managed by Wildlife SOS in collaboration with the U.P.Forest Department. International Animal Rescue, UK & Free the Bears Fund, Australia support the running of the Agra Bear Rescue Facility and the Bear Rescue & Kalandar Rehabilitation Programmes of Wildlife SOS.
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Wildlife SOS is an Indian Non-Governmental organisation working in the field of Wildlife rescue and Rehabilitation since 1995. Our main project is the rescue and rehabilitation of 'dancing bears', which are Indian Sloth Bears exploited by a gypsy tribe, called Kalandars for street entertainment purposes. We run the World's largest Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre for Sloth Bears in Agra alongwith 3 other centres. Working in tandemn with the government law enforcement agencies, including state forest departments, Wildlife SOS has rescued over 370 Slothbears from leading miserable lives with Kalandars and with the recent extension to our rescue centre in Agra, we hope to eradicate the profession of 'bear dancing' by rescuing the remaining around 600 bears off the Indian streets and rehabilitating the bear dancers as well, so that they and their generations to comedon't revert to 'dancing or poaching bears' ever again. Join hands with us in giving both man and animal a life of Dignity and Freedom!!!
The operation was conducted based on the intelligence provided by Wildlife SOS's anti-poaching network “Forestwatch”, run in association with One Voice France. “The five bear cubs that were recovered are between 3 to 4 months old and have been poached after their mothers have been killed” said Kartick Satyanarayan Co-Founder & Chairman of Wildlife SOS.
The operation team consisted of over 50 armed enforcement officers and five jeeps including a bullet proof gypsy belonging to the Special Auxillary Police. The team raided the location in the early hours of the morning on 11th April, 2007 in Navi Nagar settlement, Haveli Khadagpur, located in Munger district of Bihar. The two persons arrested were Kalandar smugglers who had purchased these bear cubs for Rs. 800 from Poachers in West Bengal and transported the cubs to Bihar.
All five rescued cubs are males, all of them had freshly pierced wounds in their delicate muzzles through which ropes had already been passed. “Wildlife SOS shall be providing expert veterinary care and a specialized cub keeper for the bear cubs” said Dr.Arun A Sha – Wildlife SOS Veterinarian & bear expert
According to Rohit Singh, Wildlife SOS investigator and a part of the raiding squad," We were able to rescue these cubs thanks to the tremendous amount of support and cooperation extended to us by Director General of Police (Bihar) Mr. Ashish Ranjan Sinha, the Superintendent of Police (Munger District) Mr. Ravindran Shankaran and the Chief Wildlife Warden of the Bihar Forest Department”.
Wildlife SOS & One Voice Association maintain a nation wide intelligence and surveillance network to keep a watch on trade routes and Kalandar settlements in the country to control the poaching and removal of bear cubs for the cruel "dancing bear trade" , which sadly persists in India even though it is illegal as per The Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Thanks to the cooperation that Wildlife SOS has received fromForest Departments and law enforcement agencies throughout the country, Wildlife SOS has been able to rescue over 380 bears from leading a life of pain and agony as 'dancing bears'".
Wildlife SOS (WSOS) runs four Bear Rescue Centres across India to address the issue of Dancing Bears. Members of the Kalandar community are encouraged to give up the practice of Dancing Bears by Wildlife SOS and surrender their Bears. In return WSOS provides assistance to establish themselves in alternative livelihoods. The 160 acre Agra Bear Rescue Facility, is the biggest facility of its kind in the world for Dancing Sloth Bears. The Center is managed by Wildlife SOS in collaboration with the U.P.Forest Department. International Animal Rescue, UK & Free the Bears Fund, Australia support the running of the Agra Bear Rescue Facility and the Bear Rescue & Kalandar Rehabilitation Programmes of Wildlife SOS.
- End -
Wildlife SOS is an Indian Non-Governmental organisation working in the field of Wildlife rescue and Rehabilitation since 1995. Our main project is the rescue and rehabilitation of 'dancing bears', which are Indian Sloth Bears exploited by a gypsy tribe, called Kalandars for street entertainment purposes. We run the World's largest Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre for Sloth Bears in Agra alongwith 3 other centres. Working in tandemn with the government law enforcement agencies, including state forest departments, Wildlife SOS has rescued over 370 Slothbears from leading miserable lives with Kalandars and with the recent extension to our rescue centre in Agra, we hope to eradicate the profession of 'bear dancing' by rescuing the remaining around 600 bears off the Indian streets and rehabilitating the bear dancers as well, so that they and their generations to comedon't revert to 'dancing or poaching bears' ever again. Join hands with us in giving both man and animal a life of Dignity and Freedom!!!
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