Endemic to the Indian subcontinent, the Sloth bear (locally known as reech) is easily identifiable by its shaggy black coat, elongated muzzle, protruding lip, and a distinctive white V-shaped patch on its chest. This elusive bear has been integral to India’s cultural heritage, its significance tracing back to the mythical Jambavan, revered as the King of Bears in the epic Ramayana.

For centuries, sloth bears were exploited by a nomadic community known as Kalandars for entertainment in royal courts. While these kingdoms disappeared over time, the Kalandars held on to their practice of mastery over animals. However, plagued by poverty and limited educational opportunities they eventually found themselves pushed to the fringes, resulting in the transition of ‘dancing’ bears into roadside attractions

A Sloth bear being forced to dance and perform tricks in a remote village in Bihar

Although performing bears and their masters/handlers may at first sight project an image of harmony, the brutality involved in training bear cubs captured from the wild and the implications of this practice on wild bear populations could potentially be devastating. 

Most bears under the care of Kalandars have severely reduced lifespans owing to the harsh conditions that they are subjected to, as well as the cruel mutilations– including the removal of teeth and claws by brute force, using primitive methods– that they suffer as part of their ‘training’.

While this brutal practice was declared illegal under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972  and sloth bears were granted the highest level of protection by wildlife laws, lack of awareness, weak law enforcement and porous borders facilitated the illegal wildlife trade and capture of these bears in India. 

In 2005, the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) along with the UK-based World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA), the state forest departments and other NGOs took on the herculean task of eradicating the ‘dancing’ bear tradition in India by rescuing the sloth bears and rehabilitating the Kalandars through interdisciplinary efforts. By 2012, there were no reported incidents of bear cub poaching and cases of bear dancing in the country.

Sloth bears are endemic to the Indian subcontinent| Photo by Ashish Tirkey

The Sloth bear is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN Red List and protected under Schedule I of The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Under provisions of the Act, possession of any wild animal or its use for exhibition and performance is prohibited, constituting a wildlife offence punishable by 3-7 years imprisonment and a minimum fine of 25000 or both.

Despite these efforts, a resurgence of the illegal Dancing Bear trade in regions bordering Jharkhand and Bihar has sparked cause for concern. In May 2024, the Wildlife Trust of India’s (WTI) enforcement team received multiple pieces of intelligence about the whereabouts of Kalandars in possession of live sloth bears at the Indo-Nepal Border in Bihar. 

The Department of Environment, Forest & Climate Change was immediately alerted, and a carefully planned enforcement operation was conducted, resulting in the successful recovery of four sloth bears (3 males and 1 female) and the arrest of seven suspects. This enforcement operation was a culmination of months of surveillance and investigations by the Forest Department, assisted by the Wildlife Trust of India.

A sub-adult sloth bear seized in Bihar | WTI

The muzzles of the bears were pierced and their teeth and claws were broken, indicating that they trained under harsh conditions for performances. All four bears have been shifted to Rajgir Zoo.

In January 2024, three sloth bears were seized in Bhagalpur, followed by the seizure of a sloth bear cub in Godda, Jharkhand in February 2024. Based on WTI’s on-ground and cyber investigations, the Jharkhand Forest Department conducted successful enforcement operations between September and November 2022, resulting in the rescue of four live sloth bears from the Deoghar and Bokaro Districts.

A female sloth bear cubs seized by the Forest Department in Jharkhand | WTI

These instances underscore a resurgence of the illegal Dancing Bear trade in regions bordering Jharkhand and Bihar. Over the past two years alone, 5  cases have surfaced, indicating that this cruel practice which was once thought to be eradicated in India is far from over.

“This sudden resurfacing of cases involving the poaching of sloth bears from the wild and their training for performances is deeply concerning. Our team has found that traders from villages in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are scouting these potential trade areas and placing their ‘demand’ for bear cubs to the tribal communities. Stopping these instigators is the major challenge to sloth bear conservation today,” said Jose Louies, CEO, Wildlife Trust of India.

The sloth bear population in India, comprising 90% of the global total, faces various threats, including habitat loss, habitat modification, human-wildlife conflicts, mining activities, and illegal wildlife trade.