In March 2025, during the rescue mission of former baiting bear Rocky in Pakistan, our team also received the request to support with the rescue and relocation of an abused dancing bear.

The Pakistani authorities have been working hard to end this cruel practice and as the local courts had mandated Sunny's confiscation, time was of the essence to prevent the bear from potential disappearing. She was located in an unsuitable facility nearly 400km away from where the team were currently located, and with bear Rocky recovering well in his temporary enclosure, we accepted without hesitation. Suddenly our mission in Pakistan doubled in urgency: two bears and two stories waiting to be rewritten.

A 'dancing bear' refers to a cruel practice in which bears are trained to perform for entertainment. These bears are often taken from the wild as cubs and subjected to inhumane treatment to make them compliant. 

Bear dancing involves callous training methods, as the bears are forced to stand on hot plates while music plays. As the pain causes the bear to move in severe discomfort, the animal associates the pain and music with unnatural movements such as spinning and walking on their hind legs. This form of cruelty is then branded as 'dancing'. Further adding to the suffering their teeth are removed, and a metal ring is pierced through their nose, allowing handlers to control them through pain. 

The journey the team undertook was challenging — trekking through villages with poor road conditions, and the entire mission occurred during the night amidst heavy rain and thunderstorm travelling in convoy with the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB). The entire rescue and relocation lasted at least 16 hours, and when we finally brought Sunny to the rescue centre, our team had the honour of naming her. 'Sunny' was chosen to reflect her cooperative and friendly demeanor, even after enduring so much pain.

Back at the rescue centre, our top priority was to conduct a thorough veterinary assessment. This included the removal of the painful nose ring and a visual examination of her condition. Sadly, we discovered that Sunny had endured a cruel fate in her past — she had suffered the removal of her teeth which had resulted in an old jaw fracture. On top of that, she was emaciated and appeared anxious. However, after careful assessment and treatment, Sunny is responding well and showing signs of recovery.

Sunny is adjusting well to her temporary enclosure, where she is close to bears Boogie and Laila, though separated. She's already displaying signs of her unique personality, though selective about her food, has a particular liking for roti with milk, loves taking baths, and is very fond of water — a characteristic that brings a smile to our faces. We are also preparing Sunny for socialisation with other young bears to live together in a common enclosure.

We are excited to see how Sunny will continue to embrace her new life filled with love, care, and freedom, where she can heal and simply be a bear. Thank you for supporting our work and for standing with us as we fight against such cruelty.