Forest regulatory authorities have seized eight “dancing” sloth bears from three sets of street performers in Bihar and Jharkhand since January this year, stirring speculation in wildlife circles about a quiet resurgence of this outlawed activity.

State forest staff, tipped off by the non-government Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), seized three bears in Bihar in January, one bear in Jharkhand in February and four bears in Bihar in March and arrested seven suspects allegedly involved in displaying bear dances. All the bears had pierced muzzles and broken teeth and claws, indicating that they had been trained under harsh conditions for performance, the WTI said on Tuesday.

A female sloth bear cub seized in Jharkhand by the forest department Sourced by The Telegraph

Bear dancing performances are illegal under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

“There have been a few isolated instances over the past 20 years, but the seizure of eight animals — all trained for performance — points to a resurgence,” Jose Louies, the chief of enforcement at the WTI, said.

The sloth bear, a native of the Indian subcontinent, has a shaggy black coat, an elongated muzzle and a distinctive patch on its chest.

Under the Wildlife Act, possession of any wild animal for exhibition or performance is prohibited and punishable with up to seven years imprisonment and a Rs 25,000 or higher fine.

A sloth bear being forced to dance and perform tricks in a remote village in Bihar Sourced by The Telegraph

“In rural areas, it appears bear dancing is a profitable business,” Louies told The Telegraph. The WTI said its team had found that traders from villages in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are scouting potential trade areas and “placing a demand” for sloth
bear cubs in the local communities who are adept at capturing bear cubs.