Bears tortured to dance rescued, taken under protection in Turkey's Bursa

At least 70 bears which were tortured in the service of a dancing tradition have been taken under protection in a bear shelter with the help of the Forestry and Water Affairs Ministry in the Marmara province of Bursa. 

The Ovakorusu Bear Shelter, located on an area of 110,000 square meters in Bursa's Karacabey district, has been a home for at least 70 bears for 24 years. The shelter has a yearly budget of 200,000 Turkish Liras and is provided by the Forestry and Water Affairs Ministry and the Directorate of Natural Protection and National Parks.  

Among the rescued bears, four of them, named "Roger," "Persie," "Ahmet" and "Ramazan," stand out in the shelter as they carry marks of brutal torture on their bodies.

For many years bears have been tortured for entertainment purposes in Turkey, especially by Roma people who force the bears to dance to tambourine music in city squares in different provinces across the country to earn a living. The four bears were the latest victims of the forced tradition.  

The bears are rehabilitating in the shelter with the aid of vitamins, proteins and carbohydrates pills. They are fed at least 400 kilograms of food per day, corresponding to 146 tons a year.    

In 1993, the first batch of 12 dancing bears was taken into the shelter. Later the number of rescued bears increased to 64. Most of the dancing bears across Turkey have been rescued and brought to this shelter. 

Officials from the shelter said the dancing bears had forcefully had their tooth and claws extracted by former owners for the purpose of preventing them from harming humans and properties, making it impossible for them to live in their natural habitats. 

Yüksel Aydoğan, the head of the shelter, said the bears'...