Agra bear rescue facility
The Agra Bear Rescue Facility (ABRF) lies a few kilometres north of the famous Taj Mahal in the north of India. It is run by our Indian partners Wildlife SOS and their expert team of vets and keepers.
Construction of the facility was initially funded by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). When the basic building work had been completed, International Animal Rescue agreed to provide the extra funds needed to get the sanctuary up and running. This enabled us to bring the first six bears into Agra on Christmas Eve 2002. In the years that followed the project went from strength to strength and became so successful that by the end of 2009 all the dancing bears on the streets of India had been rescued. The majority are housed in Agra, others at a second sanctuary in Bannerghatta near Bangalore in the south and a small number at a temporary holding centre in Bhopal, central India.
The Agra and Bannerghatta sanctuaries are fully equipped to treat and rehabilitate the rescued bears. A state of the art veterinary surgery allows accurate diagnosis of injuries and ailments and swift and efficient treatment. As well as suffering from malnutrition and often from diseases such as tuberculosis and leptospirosis, the rescued bears also often need surgery for horrific nose wounds and broken teeth and infected gums.
The Agra facility is situated on land within the government-owned Sur Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, under the overall supervision of the Uttar Pradesh Forestry Department. The sanctuary provides a beautiful natural forest habitat where the bears roam freely after a period of quarantine and rehabilitation. The socialisation areas have freshwater bathing pools, purpose-built dens, feeding and resting areas, as well as climbing frames and other tools of other environmental enrichment.
For many years the vast lake within the sanctuary was choked with weeds. Now, thanks to the clearance carried out by The Forestry Department, it is recognised as a wetland by the National Wetland Commission. Siberian cranes, Chinese koots and flamingos are among the species that are regularly seen, attracting large numbers of enthusiastic birdwatchers.
In 2006 International Animal Rescue and Wildlife SOS signed an agreement on an additional area of land across the river to expand the facility and provide a spacious home for all the remaining dancing bears. Enclosing and developing the site began almost at once and is ongoing. More dens are needed, as well as extensive planting of trees and other vegetation to reforest the former farmland. This work will take time and money but gradually, thanks to the kindness and generosity of our supporters, we are creating a perfect paradise where bears can rest and recover from the trauma of their lives on the streets.