It’s devastating when we hear news of another bear being kept in captivity and being forced to ‘dance’, especially after bringing this shocking practice to its knees in 2009, with the help of our supporters.
However, rare cases still emerge, particularly near the borders of India where illegal wildlife trade networks continue to operate.
Earlier in the year, our partners, Wildlife SOS (WSOS), rescued three-year-old Lissy from the West Bengal border following a tip-off to forest officials. A few months later, we were shocked to hear about another dancing bear, this time near the Indo Nepal border.
The bear was around twelve years old, and we discovered she had been in captivity her entire life.
Gracie had shocking injuries when we found her. Her muzzle was so brutally pierced that the rope became embedded in her flesh. Her incisors and canine teeth were torn out. Our vet diagnosed her with osteoarthritis, caused by years of being forced to stand unnaturally. She is also blind in one eye – most likely from an old trauma or untreated infection.
Now that Gracie is in our rescue centre in Agra, she is receiving exceptional veterinary care and gentle encouragement to help her recover. Her keepers are already besotted. They lovingly named her Gracie due to her calm and gentle nature.
But Gracie needs a lot of ongoing care and support. Even after we brought her to safety, she got up on her hind legs and danced at the first sight of a human.
Alan Knight OBE, President of International Animal Rescue, said:
“That shook me to the core. It wasn’t instinct or play, but a behaviour forced into her, repeated so often it had become automatic. Even in safety, Gracie still believed this was what was expected of her.”
Gracie now needs to rediscover what it means to be a bear. To uncover her natural bear instincts, and experience a life free from cruelty, and full of love. We will do everything we can to help her along her journey and show her a happy, healthy future. We want to thank all our supporters who helped to bring Gracie to sanctuary and make this possible.
To help us keep up the fight against wildlife traffickers and give Gracie the future she deserves, visit: https://www.internationalanimalrescue.org/appeal/gracies-rescue