Uckfield animal charity celebrates bear rescue success

AN ANIMAL welfare charity from Uckfield has rescued the 500th dancing bear from the streets of India since the organisation was established.

The news has been described by International Animal Rescue as a "major milestone" in the campaign to free all the dancing bears in the country and provide them with a safe haven.

The charity believes that 2009 will be the year the cruel practice is ended.

Alan Knight, chief executive of IAR, said: "We are well on the way to ending the trade in dancing bears in India altogether."

He added: "By nominating 2009 as International Animal Rescue's Year of the Bear we aim to give a new impetus to the campaign and rescue all the remaining bears off the streets.

"In the new year we will be promoting a new bear adoption programme which will enable our supporters to sponsor individual bears in our sanctuaries and follow their progress back to health."

The latest bear to be saved was Chitra, a 12-year-old female sloth bear weighing just 62 kilos. When she was rescued she was described as "frightened and timid" and crouching on the floor expecting to be beaten.

Chitra had suffered numerous injuries, including a swollen and inflamed muzzle, and mouth inflammation and ulceration caused by her canine teeth being knocked out.

The first six bears were rescued by the charity on Christmas Eve in 2002, and since then IAR has worked with Wildlife SOS to rescue and rehabilitate the animals. It is believed there are only 125 bears awaiting rescue.

The two charities have already identified more bears in remote villages still waiting to be helped.

The majority are believed to be in very poor condition and in need of medical care. They will be rescued as soon as more night dens have been built for them at the sanctuaries.

Mr Knight said: "It's hard to be patient when we know animals are suffering.

"But we are more determined than ever to rescue all the remaining bears, and 2009 is the year in which we intend to do it.

He added: "This Christmas we'll be celebrating our success so far, but we won't forget the bears still in need of our help.

"By this time next year I hope we'll be having a huge celebration because all the dancing bears in India are safely in our care."