In 2009, Wildlife SOS along with an international NGO coalition was able to bring an effective end to the dancing bear trade in India. However, other threats to bears in India remain.
An Internation Bear Association (IBA) conference kicks off today in Delhi, jointly organised by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. This will bring focus on the severe threats suffered by bears in India and across the world through habitat destruction, poaching, mining, habitat fragmentation and other damage caused by human exploitation. Apart from conflict with people, bears are poached for their gall bladders, fuelling an illegal, destructive and insatiable trade.
Wildlife SOS works with several bear species in India. This puts Wildlife SOS in a unique position to be able to share many of its successful programs with attendees from around the world. The conference will take place throughout the week and Wildlife SOS hopes to not only be able to share its knowledge, but to also learn from other experts, so that approaches to bear conservation in India will be more effective.
