Blog Post

Bear Rescue Centre at Khitam | 17 Aug, 2012 | Author: RARE - destinations and experiences




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: