Senior Bear Was Required To ‘Dance’ On The Streets For Money For 7 Years
Raju appeared to be dancing to passers-by, but he was actually wriggling in misery as his master tugged the rope back and forth like a sadistic puppeteer.
This was Raju’s and many various other sloth bears’ daily lives on India’s streets, where the practice had been exercised for over 400 years.
As a result of public outcry, the practice was prohibited in 1972, and animal conservation teams tried to save the bears one by one, cutting their ropes and placing an end to their suffering.
But Raju stayed imprisoned till Wildlife SOS tracked down the bear and saved him.
He was the last staying endangered sloth bear in the business, signaling the nation’s historic end to the unlawful activity.
Raju, a sixteen-year-old bear rescuer at the Wildlife SOS Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Center, currently delights in the best life possible, however his rescuers will certainly always remember the horrible maltreatment he endured.
” The marks on Raju’s deformed muzzle and many missing teeth serve as a continuous reminder of the ruthlessness done on numerous innocent bear lives, all in the name of the dance bear practice that was formerly widespread in India,” Wildlife SOS cofounder Geeta Seshamani said in a statement. “However, despite everything he had gone through in the past, Raju became a bear of amazing emotional strength and character.”
Raju, who lives in the sanctuary with thousands of other bears, is celebrating his ninth year of freedom this year. He spends his days hunting for food, climbing up trees, and resting in the sunlight, rather than living in misery.
The journey here hasn’t been simple, but due to his heros, Raju has lastly found serenity.
Dr. Arun. A. Sha, head of the rescue’s veterinary operations, specified, ” Throughout the years, we have witnessed Raju develop and evolve right into a robust and energetic bear.” “From a location where all hope seemed to be gone to this tiny refuge where Raju and hundreds of various other bears have actually found a home and their freedom, it’s been an amazing trip for all of us.”
