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Rearing and Maintenance of the Bear cub

Ownership: Administration of the questionnaire revealed that 66% of the Kalandars presently dancing bears had actually reared it themselves from a cub. 30% had acquired semi-trained juvenile bears or already trained adults from fellow Kalandars, who sell at times of domestic crisis but usually always to a fellow Kalandar or through a middleman who is again a Kalandar. Only 4% on the questionnaire mentioned that they had sold a bear to a travelling circus because of its old age or to private collectors who wanted to keep it as a “pet”. The Kalandar felt it was optimal the bear cub be raised, fed, trained and danced by the owner himself, specially during the initial training period of 6 months to a year; the age of the cub being between 4 to 6 months when the training begins. However it is often not possible for the same member of the family to take the bear out for dancing / earning and several family members participated in dancing and walking the bear after the initial training period was over. Village elders are often asked to help in breaking in the cub. At BV4, BV7 and BV8, three village elders who acted as trainers were interviewed. Only one of them still danced a bear. The other two had retired and helped train the cubs brought to their village. They received payment in cash or kind from the fellow Kalandar for this service. The investigators found a direct relationship between the Kalandar’s confidence in handling his bear and the age at which the bear cub had been acquired. If the Kalandar had singlehandedly raised the cub as we found to be the case at one of the largest settlements, BV13, the bear does not suffer the same degree of abuse through the rest of its life. The reasons are simple: the Kalandar does not then tie him down with a very short rope, or pull with unnecessary force on the dancing rope nor does he need intimidation with the stick or hitting with an iron chain; nor does he use hunger as a method of control throughout the bear’s life. Being familiar with the cub’s habits from the beginning, the family and the bear handler develop a better working relationship. It is rare for a Kalandar to own more than one adult bear whether he intends to dance it or sell it a little later. Eight families were encountered that owned a cub and an adult or a juvenile and an adult; and only one family in the entire survey period owned four adult bears. In two cases a Kalandar took the bear for dancing in order to pay off a debt he owed the actual owner of the bear. We gathered this can happen quite often in the Kalandar community not because the actual bear owner is too rich and is “hiring” someone to dance his bear but because one kalandar owes the other money (borrowed during a domestic emergency) and this is one way the debt can be paid off.

Maintenance and feeding: The bear cub usually reaches the village traumatised and dehydrated. Initially the cub is kept close to its owner in a basket or under a coop and brought out only for feeding. After a couple of weeks it is tied by a rope, to a bamboo pole, close to other cubs, and fed a wheat gruel along with its milk. The Kalandar claims to add jaggery to this feed to fatten the cub and win its confidence. It takes fifteen to twenty days the Kalandar claims for the new cubs to accept this relationship and begin eating well. The mortality rate can be high at this stage. During one of visits the investigators released the cubs from the bamboo posts to observe their behaviour. They were playful and didn’t stray far from where they were tied. Their play consisted of a variety of vocalisations as they indulged in mock attacks and wrestled with each other. But the Kalandars evinced no interest in leaving the cubs free to exercise themselves and to explore their surroundings. Considering the cub in the wild accompanies his mother and explores his world around this age, this continuous tethering of cubs by a short rope throughout the day and night is a cruelty difficult to evaluate or quantify. So too they are deprived of all the warmth, touch and company of an adult (mother) bear and it is no wonder the cubs are continuously mewling / whining and tugging at their ropes; or in desperation they go up and down the bamboo poles to which they find themselves tethered. They are left free only when they are opened for their feed. The Kalandar claims feeding a cub costs between Rs 20 to Rs 30 per day and the costs rise steadily till the adult bear costs them between Rs75 and Rs 110 per day. Some Kalandars claim to feed Chana Ata, i.e. powdered gram with the milk to the cub, yet others claim to add soft fruits, but the investigators found no signs of this in any of the villages visited. By and large in North India milk and wheat porridge is fed to the cub; and in the South, Ragi porridge and milk is fed till the cub is about six months of age. After six months of age the cub is fed twice a day, with large Rotis (baked breads made out of wheat flour) mixed in milk ,in North India. In South India they are fed steamed Ragi balls and milk twice a day. Twice a year when the season changes from hot to cold and cold to hot, the bear is fed several kilos of Ghee (clarified fat) about _ a kilo each morning for 7-8 days, which the Kalandar claims “deworms” it, “cleans its stomach” and prepares it for the change of season. To prepare the bear for the colder months in the North, similarly _ kg of jaggery (molasses) is fed to the bear each day, for about 8-10 days. This the Kalandar claims builds up the bears’ resistance to infections, probably by building up the fatty deposits. Although the Kalandars are well aware of the natural diet of the bear there is no attempt at feeding the bears in a more balanced fashion; the Kalandar logic being the animal is no longer “wild” and has to be given a “human” diet, The heaviest concentrations of dancing bears were in BV7 and BV13. Here the bears on an average recorded longer life spans; when physically examined they had glossier coats and were larger in size and heavier.

Significantly both the villages had large tracts of open space with plenty of trees and scrubby undergrowth with large termite mounds and ant hills and the bears had access to this. In these villages the bears were kept on long twenty feet ropes that allowed them to grub about in the soil for their favourite food. This addition to their diet significantly improved their health. Secondly these bear men were closer to the highways and could attract a large tourist trade; or earn by entertaining at hotels where a programme would be arranged for eg. at festivals. This was another factor which contributed to their better health, as undue stress while walking long distances was avoided. Thirdly most of the bears in these two villages had been reared as cubs by the same owner who was still dancing them or a member of the immediate family was handling them. The bears had not suffered frequent changes of owners / handlers. All these factors contributed to their better health and maintenance and the owners enjoyed a closer relationship with their animals. By and large the bears were groomed meticulously by the Kalandars if the expected route to be taken was one frequented by foreign tourists or they had been given a contract by hotel proprietors to sit at fixed spots for their guests. Thus the bears of BV4, BV7 and BV8 and BV11 were even shampooed and combed, as tourists enjoyed physically stroking and handling the bears. When on the road or dancing before rural and small town Indian audiences the bears were often coated in mud and suffered cuts on their foot pads and suffered an unexplained eye discharge. The bears also walked longer distances, their feeding was often disrupted and rest timings became irregular and they were treated more roughly as rural audiences often teased and provoked the animal. So the Kalandar is extra vigilant to ensure that no member of the public gets scratched or attacked by his bear and he consequently treats his bear more abusively. The staking of the bears when at rest varied. In 70% of the cases observed, the rope taken through the nose was attached to a chain/rope which could be as short as three or four feet. The position is one of acute discomfort and the bear cannot turn or stand up to sharpen its claws on a tree or lie at full length. In about 80% of the cases observed the bear had dug a shallow depression and rain water had filled it up, so that the bear stood defensively hunched up near its stake for long periods of time or curled up on the soggy ground resigned to its fate. Although the Kalandar claimed to change the bear’s resting site thrice a day, we rarely found them that concerned. In some villages the bears are surrounded by cut branches of the thorny kikar tree which protects it from dogs and acts as camouflage from the idle, curious passerby.

Nose Piercing: The cub suffers trauma when it is pushed and pulled by the children of the village in an attempt to break it in and get it used to being handled by men. However its first ordeal by pain is when the nose is pierced and a thick rope inserted through the cheek tissue and removed from its mouth. This is the first nose piercing when the rope and needle is pulled through the top of the cheek and out through the

mouth. A second nose piercing is done after another four months when the cub’s snout is larger and the cartilage of the upper palate is stronger to withstand a thicker rope. This time the rope is pulled out through either the right or left nostril. Often the bear paws itself repeatedly or tugs at the rope in a bid to escape the pain and tears the inflamed tissues. In such cases the kalandar repeats the nose piercing at another site on the snout. It is quite common to see several scars on the snouts of the adult / juvenile bears. Although the Kalandars in a few villages claimed to go to a veterinarian for the nose piercings and insisted local anesthesia was used and painkillers given after, this was a tutored reply given at the start of the investigation. In all the questionnaires administered after the investigators had won their trust, 96% replied the bear cub’s nose was pierced by a village elder or an experienced owner in the village itself, with a large iron needle about 6.5 inches in length. It was only in the second year of investigations that the researchers could witness the first nose piercing. The crude iron needle such as is used to sew mattresses and sackcloth, is heated in a coal fire and plunged in with a group of men holding the squealing cub tight. The site of the nose piercing was invariably infected in all the 17 cases we observed when the questionnaire was being administered. All cubs observed since then have also been found to have infected pus filled nose piercings with the muzzle swollen and distorted, sometimes up to four months after the first piercing. The cub would then have to suffer a second nose piercing before the first was healed, compounding his agony. It is significant that this is the optimal training period as the cub will walk and rear up on its hind legs mainly because of the agony it suffers when the rope is tugged. No medication was being applied to the muzzle till the investigators donated antibiotic ointments and fly-repelling creams. The Kalandar puts “Sarsoo oil” to ease the pain and soften the tissues but it is a sweet oil and attracts flies. Although simple Ayurvedic indigenous ointments are available and can prevent infection, the Kalandar does not use this information, preferring to do what his forefathers always did. In Karnataka a Brass ring was put into the nose of the bear and then a chain or a rope attached. This practice was only noticed in the bears examined in the South. If the measurement of the muzzle was done carelessly often the snout of the bear remained compressed and distorted as the ring was smaller than needed. Secondly a very cruel mode of control was to insert the bearman’s stick into the ring and twist it a little, thereby causing the animal a great deal of pain; thirdly more than one rope can be attached to the brass ring, if the bear is of bad temperament and facilitate control of the bear. Of the 97 adult bears the investigators examined, about 40% still had their original nose hole.The others bore scars to show torn cartilage and large cuts, distorted muzzles, several openings in the nose indicating re-piercing. The trainers explained that a recalcitrant or ill tempered adult bear would have to be re-pierced in a bid to tame him with pain and control him. Others explained that simply with age and wear and tear, it becomes necessary to redo the holes. Only one percent of the interviewed Kalandars were willing to forego the nose piercing and experiment with using a leather muzzle and/or harness on the bear. No Kalandar was willing to accept that a bear could be controlled without a nose rope. They were however willing to learn the names of medicines that would lessen the infections

Removal of the Canine teeth: The cub has small black canines as part of its milk teeth and it is between the 8th and 10th month that the adult canines appear and are removed. This is done with no anesthesia and again an iron rod is hammered in, with a blunt wooden pestle, and the tooth dislodged with force. The use of a pliers - like instrument, resembling kitchen tongs made of iron, is sometimes used. The Kalandars deny any injuries take place to the sensitive muzzle of the sloth bear or that the long lips are torn or injured, during this process. The cubs (17) and juveniles (7) examined by us while administering questionnaires, either still had their milk canines or had already had them removed so that only the cavity left behind in the mouth could be observed. We have not been able to witness a canine removal first hand but have examined the cubs soon after the canines have been knocked out and the distress and physical trauma to the cub was apparent. The teeth are used for talismans and amulets and command a good price. However the Kalandar claims he removes them for the safety of his family, the public, and the crowds that gather around the dancing bear and not for its monetary value. However the investigators noted several juveniles with their canines intact. These were to be removed later when the teeth were larger and had more value as amulets; thereby being a more painful experience for the animals

Trimming of Claws: By and large the cutting of the claws takes place twice a year during Diwali and during Holi; or during spring and autumn so to say, according to the Kalandars. However it was observed that only 20% of the bears had one or two claws removed at the very base. Pulling out of claws is not a practice among the Kalandars and the investigators did not come across any case of claws being pulled out. However among the claws on sale some showed bone and a large part of the phalange attached. According to the Kalandars these were removed from a dead Sloth bear, by an owner who was desperate for money or had a family crisis to handle as once again violating the body of the dead bear was against their “religion.” In case of a good enough price paid by a client who urgently needs the claw as a talisman or by foreign buyers who pay well, the Kalandar supplies it without qualms, out of season. The claws are cut using brass or iron Sarotas (betel nut crackers) . At several of the villages when the owner and trainer or other bear owners

surrounded the bear to demonstrate a point to the investigators, the unrest and fear of the animal was very evident. The Kalandars explained the bears fear the group is going to cut its nails or change its nose rope both of which were obviously traumatic memories for the adult bear. Although safety was quoted as the reason for clipping the nails, and the comfort of the bear while walking on the paved roads was the second reason given for trimming its claws, profit was certainly the strongest incentive, as bear claws were in great demand by the bear audiences, whether rural, urban, or foreign. Hence the Kalandars trim the claws seasonally and do not remove them (by pulling out) as they provide recurring income

Diseases and Treatment: According to the Kalandar the cub or juvenile bear suffers no illness beyond a form of epileptic fits which attack it before the age of three years. Should the bear survive beyond this age it usually lives out its normal life span till thirty years. However as said earlier, our questionnaires elicited the information that the oldest bears were approximately 15-16 years of age and only 10% reached this age. However wildlife field workers conjecture the cause of death in the bears is often respiratory congestion, and two cases of post-mortem conducted in Karnataka, Bangalore, by Mr Srinath of the WWF revealed tuberculosis as the cause of death. However no documentation has been done in this area nor have any scientific studies been undertaken on this subject. Only 10% of the Kalandars questioned had visited a veterinary doctor to consult about an illness of their bear; almost unanimously they preferred to go to a village elder for treatment. This “epileptic fit” is characterised by the bear becoming dull and listless for a few days; his face swells up and he refuses food; then suddenly he convulses and falls down usually to never recover. The Kalandars are very fatalistic about this illness. Zoo authorities hazarded a diagnosis: acute worm infection followed by a cardiac arrest. The investigators did not see any animal with these symptoms. A request has been made to bring the bear in for a post-mortem should any such death take place in the villages visited. However the investigators did see two adult bears that were very sick and after showing symptoms of respiratory congestion they passed away. Three cubs handled by the investigators died of severe gastro-enteric symptoms. We were told a large number of cubs, almost 60 70% of those purchased died of similar symptoms. We conclude poor unhygienic feeding after acquiring the cubs is responsible for this high mortality rate. Respiratory and intestinal infections seem to be responsible for most of the deaths

Mortality Rates: The questionnaire revealed that the cubs have a high mortality rate at the market itself; approximately two cubs out of ten succumb to the shock of separation from the mother and simply “fade” away according to the Kalandars. The Kalandar trader or middleman whohandles the purchasing for their fellow Kalandars reports that the initial trauma of the capture tended to increase the death rate but could not hazard the percentage of cub deaths. Should the cubs survive, transportation takes its toll as the cubs are carried long distances in gunny sacking; or put into fruit baskets covered with leaves / fruits; or packed with hay in crates. The preferred mode of transport is trucks which obligingly carry the Kalandars through the length of this country. Today travelling by train has become a hazard the Kalandars claim, as the authorities and fellow passengers often object or ask too many questions should they recognize the animal. Again transportation entails a twenty to forty percent loss in cubs. Should the cub reach the village and its owner safely, the first fifteen days are critical as it must accept the Kalandar owner and begin eating. The Kalandars conjecture 1-2 cubs out of 15-20 brought to a village each season die at this stage of handling. In the second year of the study the investigators had an opportunity to countercheck these statistics. In BV7 and BV8, 21 cubs were received. Over a period of three months the investigators observed three deaths of cubs due to respiratory and intestinal disorders. At the end of this three month period when the cubs were approximately five months old, the investigators found only five cubs continued to be with the Kalandars in these two villages. The investigators were told the cubs had all “died”. This either leaves us staring at an extremely low survival rate close to only 24 % as in this particular case or the cubs had been sold through a route as yet not known to the investigators. Although the Kalandars almost uniformly insisted their training methods produce no trauma with consequent fatalities, they do agree that the percentage of bears lost in the first year can be as high as 40%, with improved chances of the bear cub surviving as it becomes a juvenile. If the bear survives its third year without succumbing to “epileptic fits” the Kalandar feels it usually lives on for 15-20 years more. It is estimated from the Kalandar questionnaires then, that on an average the larger villages (BV7, BV8, BV15, BV 21, BV24, ) receive at least 15-20 cubs each season and these are distributed to the smaller Kalandar settlements. A settlement as large as BV13 could receive up to 25 - 30 bear cubs in a season. In Karnataka on an average 9 -11 cubs are needed to replace those lost each year among the 63 families licensed to dance bears, (Srinath, WWF). In this small sampling of Kalandar settlements, it is estimated that approximately 115 cubs reach the 36 villages each season. Of these in the first six months over fifty percent are lost to disease, trauma and poor feeding. Since there is no valid licensing system at present in India, and since no statistics are available of poached bears / cubs with the wildlife functionaries, the estimated population of dancing bears is being conservatively calculated from the administration of the Survey Questionnaire given to the Kalandar. It must be noted that the present sub-group examined in North India and in

Karnataka has indicated that almost as many more Kalandar settlements exist through the States of Orissa, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu and Punjab. This significantly increases the number of captured cubs per season.