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International Animal Rescue NewsDecember 2008 500th dancing bear rescued in IndiaInternational Animal Rescue and Wildlife SOS have announced the rescue of the 500th dancing bear from the streets of India.
Chitra, a female sloth bear, has just been surrendered to the Bannerghatta bear sanctuary near Bangalore which is funded by International Animal Rescue and run by Wildlife SOS. Chitra is approximately 12 years old but weighs a scrawny 62 kilos. When she was rescued she was frightened and timid and crouched on the floor expecting to be beaten.
The first six bears were rescued on Christmas Eve 2002 when the sanctuary in Agra opened its doors. Since then International Animal Rescue in the UK with the support from Free the Bears Fund, Australia, has worked with partners Wildlife SOS to rescue and rehabilitate adult bears and cubs that were poached from the wild and destined for a life on the streets. The charities believe there are now only about 130 dancing bears awaiting rescue. Dancing bears suffer terrible cruelty during their lives on the streets, resulting in lasting physical and psychological damage. The charity's Christmas appeal, supported by Bill Bailey, highlights the plight of those bears that have gone blind as a result of malnutrition or brutal beatings to the head. International Animal Rescue is raising funds to provide additional environmental enrichment for them to stimulate their other senses and ward off boredom and depression. The two charities have already identified more bears in remote villages still waiting to be rescued. The majority are in very poor condition and in need of medical care. They will be rescued as soon as more night dens have been built for them at the sanctuaries. Alan Knight concludes: "It's hard to be patient when we know animals are suffering. But we are more determined than ever to rescue all the remaining bears, and 2009 is the year in which we intend to do it. "This Christmas we'll be celebrating our success so far, but we won't forget the bears still in need of our help. By this time next year I hope we'll be having a huge celebration because all the dancing bears in India are safely in our care."
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