Photo courtesy: MKS Pasha

Three persons were arrested and a 4-month-old bear cub was seized as a result of an anti-poaching operation conducted at Koppal district in Karnataka. In addition two adult sloth bears were also rescued by the forest department on September 8. The operation was carried out by the state forest department based on a tip-off by Wildlife SOS and One Voice Association.

With this seizure, the total number of dancing bears rescued and rehabilitated in India by state forest departments and Wildlife SOS has crossed 400, all in a span of less than five years.

Wildlife SOS, a release issued by the organisation said, started working on this issue in 1995 with support from the Union government and various state governments. The objective of the project was to eradicate the brutal practice of dancing bears in India, an age old entertainment practice which is banned, illegal and punishable by Indian law.

As per the directive of the local magistrate courts at Gangavati taluk, the rescued sloth bears (all male) are being transferred to the Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre run by the Karnataka Forest Department in collaboration with Wildlife SOS.

The Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre is a collaboration between the Karnataka Forest Department & Wildlife SOS established with the purpose of providing a natural home for rescued bears. This rescue centre is primarily funded by International Animal Rescue, international partners of Wildlife SOS.

The raids were conducted at a remote village settlement in Koppal district. The entire operation was conducted under DFO Koppal, Srinivasulu, and coordinated by District collector Naveen Raj Singh, with support from SP Siddramiah.

Srinivasulu said, "The raid teams totalling 25 persons from the forest department, police, and Wildlife SOS anti-poaching unit team carried out the raid in the early hours of the morning. We are working with Wildlife SOS to encourage Kalandars to surrender their bears peacefully and shall encourage them to give up this illegal work and adopt legal alternative means of livelihood. Many persons have surrendered voluntarily. We are hopeful that we can soon make Karnataka a state free from this illegal practice of dancing bears".

The intelligence for this seizure was gathered by Forestwatch, the Wildlife Crime Intelligence Network and Anti-Poaching Wing of Wildlife SOS which is run in association with One Voice Association France. Working through a network of informers and decoys, this wing helps in detection and prevention of wildlife crime across India by maintaining vigil on illegal wildlife trade routes.

According to Kartick Satyanarayan, cofounder Wildlife SOS, "This operation is a result of extensive intelligence gathered over the past few months since the seizure carried out in other states earlier this year."