Have you ever burned your fingers on a hotplate? The pain creates an instant reaction which causes you to pull your hand away. Every "dancing bear" has to endure this pain on a regular basis, with no hope of it ending.

Being forced to stand on scorching metal plates, stepping from one foot to another, until finally trying to escape the painful heat by standing up and moving onto their hind legs. This is the fate that Asiatic black bears Laila and Boogie had to face. But that is not all. They were also used as baiting bears.

During fights, they are tethered to a rope which gives them no room to escape from dogs attacking them. Often their teeth are removed and claws are filed down making them unable to defend themselves.

Bear dancing and bear baiting is an age-old tradition introduced as a sport. Usually, the bear baiting was arranged by landlords for their personal enjoyment or at a village carnival in remote areas of Punjab. Such practices are embodied in the cultural history of the local people who learned this sport from the British. 

The great news is that both practices are forbidden in Pakistan and the authorities continue to be committed to enforce the legislation and stop this illegal cruel practice. They have already saved 8 bears and taken them to the Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Islamabad. There, they have nature-like enclosures and everything they need to recover from the horrors they had to endure. 

The authorities asked for our support in the confiscation and relocation of further bears – defenseless and with their whole lives ahead of them. On 8 April, the responsible High Court as well as the Senior Minister of Punjab granted permission to rescue and relocate two bears kept in Jauharabad, Punjab, three hours from Islamabad. Both bears were suffering in terrible private keeping conditions and were in worrying physical condition. FOUR PAWS and Islamabad Wildlife Management board (IWMB) traveled to collect the bears and relocate them to the rescue center, where they will be provided with all needed veterinary care.

Boogie’s story demonstrates the dedicated efforts of the Pakistani government to act against illegal bear baiting. After videos on social media showed Boogie in fights, the authorities confiscation the bear and kept him in an enclosure. Boogie was stolen by the bear mafia, but thankfully, due to the vigilant efforts of the authorities, they were able to find him again and bring him to safety.