This year, we’ve rescued not just one, but two dancing bears, from the illegal dancing bear trade – Lissy and Gracie.
Both have suffered horrific abuse at the hands of their captors, including having their teeth smashed out to render them defenceless and their muzzles pierced with hot pokers so a rope could be threaded through to force them to “dance”.
Gracie, who is believed to be around nine years older than Lissy, also suffers from Osteoarthritis and has limited vision in one eye as a result of years in captivity.
Now, the two rescued bears are forging a special friendship at our rescue centre in Agra.
Initially, they were housed near each other while undergoing their individual quarantine periods. Even though they were in separate dens, caregivers observed how inquisitive both bears were about each other, and how willing they were to interact.
Once Gracie’s quarantine duration was over, the team at WSOS arranged for the two sloth bears to be introduced in the hope they could support each other’s recoveries. It began with supervised interactions, and to everyone’s delight, each encounter turned out to be a positive one. This encouraged the team to permanently move the two bears together.
Staff say the bond between Lissy and Gracie is blossoming and companionship is already providing both bears with the enrichment and comfort they need to recover from their abusive pasts.
The pair playfully explore their enclosure, mock wrestle each other (an instinctual friendly behaviour among sloth bears) and even sleep nestled up against each other. They are also proving to be quite resourceful, and work as a team to sniff and dig out insects from beneath their land. They come together daily to make this ritual part of their regular routine.
Founder of International Animal Rescue, Alan Knight OBE, said: “What Lissy and Gracie have been through is unimaginably sad, so to see them immediately find a friend to lean on is incredible. Of course, recovery isn’t just about healing physically; the animals we care for have to learn to feel safe and confident again, and friends can really help with that.”
Lissy and Gracie have become inseparable and we are delighted that they have found each other in sanctuary. Together, they will receive lifelong care at the rescue centre, where they will have access to round-the-clock specialist veterinary care, nutritious food and, of course, their devoted caregivers.
Animal lovers can now adopt Lissy and Gracie as a pair to help give them the best care possible. Adopters will be able to follow their incredible journey together through regular updates as they recover from the cruelty they’ve suffered as lifelong friends.
To find out more about Lissy and Gracie or to support their recovery visit here.