No More Dancing Bears in Bulgaria

News.bg, 19 June 2007

They are no more dancing bears in Bulgaria, informed from ‘Four Paws' foundation.

Just like in the Wild Wild West, you can find all kinds of wild animals in the bigger Bulgarian cities...but not any more.

One interesting tame animal - the dancing bear becomes extinct specie. Some people had invented a strange way to earn money: learning bears to dance.

After the animals learn the dancing steps they go out on the streets, directed by a chain pierced by their lips or nose, hold by their ‘managers' who are playing a gadulka (folk Bulgarian strink musical instrument played with a bow). As a result fascinated tourists give money to the bear's owners.

The last three dancing bears in Bulgaria are setting out today to the Readaptation Park in Belitsa (Southern from Sofia), said from ‘Four Paws'. The foundation will buy the animals from their bosses.

The three bears: 19 years-old Misho, 17 years-old Svetla and Mima at the age of 8 will take the long way from Getsovo village (Razgrad, North Bulgaria) to the Belitsa's park.

In a total the dancing bears in Bulgaria's re-adaptation park will be 23.