New Delhi: The Department of Environment, Forest & Climate Change recently seized four live Sloth bears from a village close to the interstate border of Jharkhand and Bihar. The bears were being exploited for the illegal dancing bear trade, in violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
This enforcement operation was a culmination of months of surveillance and investigations by the State Forest Department, assisted by the Wildlife Trust of India.
Last month, the Wildlife Trust of India’s (WTI) enforcement team received multiple intelligence about the whereabouts of Kalandars (members of the traditional bear dancing community) in possession of live sloth bears at the Indo-Nepal Border.
The Bihar Forest Department was immediately alerted, and a carefully planned enforcement operation was conducted, resulting in the successful recovery of four sloth bears (3 males and 1 female) and the arrest of seven suspects.
The muzzles of the bears were pierced and their teeth and claws were broken, indicating that they were trained under harsh conditions for performances. All four bears have been shifted to Rajgir Zoo.
In another incident in January, three sloth bears were seized in Bhagalpur, Bihar followed by the seizure of a sloth bear cub in Godda, Jharkhand in February.
Based on WTI’s on-ground and cyber investigations, the Jharkhand Forest Department conducted successful enforcement operations between September and November 2022, resulting in the rescue of four live sloth bears from the Deoghar and Bokaro Districts.
These instances underscore a resurgence of the illegal Dancing Bear trade in regions bordering Jharkhand and Bihar. Over the past two years alone, 5 cases have surfaced, indicating that this cruel practice which was once thought to be eradicated in India is far from over.
Endemic to the Indian subcontinent, the Sloth bear is easily identifiable by its shaggy black coat, elongated muzzle, protruding lip, and a distinctive white V-shaped patch on its chest. This species is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN Red List and protected under Schedule I of The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Under provisions of the Act, possession of any wild animal or its use for exhibition and performance is prohibited and a wildlife crime which may attract 3-7 years of imprisonment and a minimum of 25000 fine or both.
In 2005, WTI along with the UK-based World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA), the state forest departments and other NGOs’ undertook the massive task of eradicating the ‘dancing’ bear tradition in India by rescuing the sloth bears and rehabilitating the Kalandars through interdisciplinary efforts. By 2012, there were no reported incidents of bear cub poaching and cases of bear dancing in the country.
“This sudden resurfacing of cases involving the poaching of sloth bear cubs from the wild and their training for performances is deeply concerning. Our team has found that traders from villages in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are scouting these potential trade areas and placing their ‘demand’ for bear cubs in the local communities. Stopping these instigators is the major challenge to sloth bear conservation today,” said Jose Louies, Chief of Enforcement, Wildlife Trust of India.
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