Over my
numerous road trips to Agra, there were many times I have been subjected to the
sad plight of the 'dancing bear'. The Kalandar’s, the keepers and owners
of the bears subjected you to a brief performance whether you liked it or not.
It was nauseating to see these magnificent creatures of the wild now slave to
the Kalandar perform unnatural acts - dance, flip, beg for his sustenance. A
well-organized movement by Wildlife SOS India with support from various partner
organizations like Ford, One Voice and the government and forest department
that began about 5-6 years ago has ensured the closure of this ancient and
cruel livelihood with the last of the bears being rescued in December 2009.
On the Delhi
to Agra highway about 12 Kms short of Sikandra is the easily missed "Soor
Sarovar Bird Sanctuary" which was declared as a sanctuary for birds in
1991. Covering an area of 7.97 sq kms which includes a fresh water lake of 3 sq
kms and thick woodlands around, the sanctuary supports over 165 species of
resident and migratory birds as well as pythons, spotted deer, wild boar and
other mammals. Deep inside the sanctuary is one of the biggest bear rescue
centers under Wildlife SOS and supported by several other organizations that
work in the field of animal rescue.
A short drive
from the entrance where you pay for the entry into the Soor Sarovar Bird
Sanctuary past the lake is the fortified enclosure of the Bear Rescue Centre.
One has to register here again by filling in visitor information and then you
are taken in through the gate of the rescue centre with a guard who also
doubles up as a guide. Within the high walled enclosure are wired enclosures
onto your left and freely growing woods on the right.
The first
glimpse of the bears is quite gut wrenching; you see a few of them moving from
side to side which the guard explained were the memory of his days with the
Kalandar. According to the guide, the jingle of drums from their dancing days
still resounds in their sub-conscious and hence they cannot stop moving. There
are over 300 bears lodged in this sanctuary and are really looked after well.
As it was the peak of summers there were coolers organized close to their
feeding dens, the open area well wooded so that bears easily spread out in the
space. Visitors are not allowed closer interaction unless one has sponsored a
bear at the centre; even then prior permission is required. However you can
walk around the wired wall, see them feed, leave a donation and are also shown
a documentary about the dancing bears, their rescue operations and the
rehabilitation of the Kalandars.
The sloth bear (Ursus ursinus) is a mammal and
carnivore and is characterized by a thick shaggy fur that is black to
brown colored. Its ears are lined with long fur and it has a long snout, the
area around it’s muzzle and eyes are cream colored and has a distinct V or
U-shaped pattern displayed on its chest that is white or gold colored. They
have long claws and are excellent tree climbers. Their habitats include
grasslands, forests, and dense brush lands in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,
Bhutan, and Nepal. For centuries they have been rudely abducted from the wild
often as young ones separated from their mothers and subjected to painful
atrocities before being trained to perform as a ‘dancing bear’.
Kalandars
are a nomadic tribe who took to capturing and training bears for generations.
It is believed that the Mughal courts patronized this cruel culture and hence
the profession gained prominence. One of the major tasks of the Bear Rescue
groups is also to provide alternate livelihood to the Kalandars and their
families so that they do not resort back to their earlier profession.
Other Bear
Rescue Centers in India include Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre, Bangalore; Van
Vihar Bear Rescue Facility in Bhopal and Purulia Bear Rescue Centre in West
Bengal.
For more
information, advance booking and to support the project: