Dancing Bears

I saw a photo once.

I loved it.

It was a bear...

A dancing bear...

An Indian bear, dancing on the side of the road,

trucks tearing along beside it.

I was young and didn’t really understand.

Now, I’m a little older.

I know about the ropes, now.

I know that the ropes

are twisted through the nostrils of the bear.

I know that the Indian man pulls on the rope…

making the bear stand up against the searing pain.

The bear’s not dancing… it just looks like it is.

I’m not alone in disliking the idea of dancing bears. Several groups have formed to reduce the numbers of bears being forced to dance for a living.

In 1998, bear dancing was banned by the government.

Many of the men who owned the bears are learning new skills. Many are developing new businesses. Some learn to make soap or incense sticks.

These men are handing back the bears.

Bears which are handed in, are provided with

a nutritious diet and veterinary care.

In about 5 years, approximately 250 bears have stopped dancing.

The locals are learning to value the bears and have started

reporting bear poachers.

I saw a photo once. It was ugly, but the bear was free…

The photo made me smile.