FOUR PAWS Rescues Abused Dancing Bear in Pakistan
Increased efforts of the Pakistani government to end illegal bear captivity
Islamabad, 5 March 2025 – An emergency response team from global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS is currently on-site in Pakistan to support with the rescue and relocation of illegally kept bears that have been confiscated by the authorities. During a meeting with the FOUR PAWS team on 3 March, the Advisor to the Prime Minister of Change and Environment received information about the successful confiscation of a female bear that had been abused as a dancing bear. The FOUR PAWS experts lost no time and made the 400-kilometre journey to Jhang district to provide urgent help for three-year-old dancing bear Sunny together with a team from the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB). Earlier this week, they supported the rescue and relocation of seven-year-old bear Rocky, who had been severely abused as a baiting bear to fight dogs. FOUR PAWS continues its support of the Pakistani government in ending the cruel keeping of bears for entertainment like dancing or baiting.
After being asked to support with the rescue and relocation of bear Sunny, the FOUR PAWS team immediately started the necessary preparations, including arranging travel documents, medication, and supplies for the trip. They faced a challenging night-time journey through many villages with bad road conditions during heavy rains and thunderstorms. But after 15 hours, they arrived at the temporary confiscation location where Sunny was kept, provided first aid, and set about returning to Islamabad to bring the young bear to her new home at the IWMB Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre. The FOUR PAWS team had the honour to pick a name for the bear, and as she is very cooperative, calm and lovely, she received the name 'Sunny'.
- More information about the rescue of bear Rocky can be found here
- More information about the efforts of FOUR PAWS to help bears in Pakistan can be found here
Katharina Braun
(she/her)Team Lead Public Relations
+43 (0) 664 885 33 270
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1150 Vienna, Austria
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FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, the organisation advocates for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding. The sustainable campaigns and projects of FOUR PAWS focus on companion animals including stray dogs and cats, farm animals and wild animals – such as bears, big cats and orangutans – kept in inappropriate conditions as well as in disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Vietnam as well as sanctuaries for rescued animals in eleven countries, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. www.four-paws.org