Sloth Bears
For about the last year or so, I have been a board member for Wildlife SOS USA. The organization is based in India and does a wide variety of projects saving wildlife.
They have become most famous for saving the Dancing Bears of India. For more than 400 years, a particular tribe of gypsies made a living by purchasing a Sloth Bear cub from a poacher (who usually take the cubs by killing the mother). They pierce the muzzle of the bear with a red hot poker, and basically beat the bear into submission. From there they travel the country, finding any audience who will pay to watch them “dance” the bear at the end of a short rope.
The project began in the mid-nineties – simply trying to understand the scope of the problem and how they could convince the Kalandar people to give up their bears. They realized that they could not simply take the bears and leave the men, families without a source of income. So they ask for them to surrender the bear, give them a lump sum of money, and then train them. The men may become carpet weavers, the women make jewelry, the kids are put through school. A sustainable model designed to stop them from ever going back to a life that involves torturing animals.
So now around 600 Sloth Bears call the four Wildlife SOS Sanctuaries home. One in Agra, Bhopal, Bannerghatta, and West Bengal. We were lucky enough to be able to visit three of them (only missing West Bengal!), and each has their own charm, and group of beautiful bears. Here are some of the photos taken during the trip.
Kartick and Odum hug
Two bears having a good time wrestling!
Cute little bear paw 
11-month old cub climbing a tree!
Rescued bear doing what they do best....relaxing
This bear at the Agra Sanctuary giving us a quick sniff
Ironically, these bears playing with rope - something that has kept them tortured for many years on the streets.
Hogle Bear, named in honor of Hogle Zoo - a good friend and supporter of the work of Wildife SOS
