Star saved from daily bear baiting cruelty
Apr 19, 2010
© WSPA
WSPA has received the wonderful news that Star, a badly wounded bear forced to fight in bear baiting events, has been rescued. Star is now safe and recovering from his injuries at the WSPA-funded Kund Park sanctuary in Pakistan.
Sanctuary at last
A black Asiatic bear named Star has been rescued from a life of trauma as a fighting bear in Pakistan.
In December, Dr Fakhar-i-Abbas of WSPA member-society, the Bioresource Research Centre (BRC), told us of his fears that Star could die at any time from his terrible injuries.
Fakhar and his team at BRC could not rescue Star as the WSPA-funded Kund Park sanctuary was full. Sadly Star’s rescue was only made possible due to the unfortunate death of Sonia, a bear that had lived happily at the Kund Park sanctuary since 2001, from what seems to be a parasitic blood disease.
Rescued from pain and suffering
Star had terrible injuries to his muzzle and around his eyes, and was underweight and malnourished. Because Star was the only source of income for his owner, he had been made to fight in frequent bear baiting events, never allowing his injuries time to heal. In one month he had to fight in eight bear baiting events, facing three rounds of attacks by trained fighting dogs each time.
If Star had not been rescued, his pain and trauma would have continued until he died from his injuries. WSPA supporters helped make it possible for Star to be rescued and given a peaceful life, safe at the WSPA-funded Kund Park sanctuary.
On the road to recovery
Star’s injuries are now being treated, and the nose-ring that had been brutally forced through his muzzle has been removed. He will need to be carefully monitored for a few weeks before he is fit enough to join the other bears in the main enclosure. After staring death in the face day after day, the future now looks bright for Star. He has a good chance of a full recovery, the horror of his bear baiting days finally behind him.
Building of new sanctuary is underway
With the original WSPA-built Kund Park sanctuary full, no more bears could be rescued from the cruel blood sport of bear baiting until a new sanctuary was built. WSPA supporters around the world have responded with exceptional generosity to our appeal to raise the funds needed to build a much-needed second sanctuary for bears in Pakistan, and the project is well underway.
The new sanctuary in Balkasar, Pakistan should be completed in May and ready to take in rescued bears in June. WSPA hopes to share many more stories of bears being rescued from bear baiting and to one day see an end to this cruel blood sport.
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