The longtime tradition of dancing bears, which has been criticized for its cruel training methods, is finally coming to an end in Nepal. With the help of the Jane Goodall Institute Nepal and the London-based nonprofit World Animal Protection, Nepalese law enforcement was able to remove two sloth bears named Rangeela and Sridevil from their handlers, Mohammad Salman and Mohammad Momtaz. Salman and Momtaz were members of the semi-nomadic Nat community, who traditionally made a living with the dancing bears and other street performances. The bears’ muzzles were pierced with hot iron rods and the animals had been poached from the wild. The bears, 19-and-17-years-old, had been tracked for over a year using the owners’ mobile phones. They were taken to Amlekhgunj Forest and Wildlife Reserve for treatment. The tradition of training bears to dance for audiences started in the Middle Ages and was popular in Europe and Asia until the late 20th century, when animal welfare groups started to rescue the bears and help their owners transition into new livelihoods.
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