I have called this post the Dancing Bear Sanctuary but the place is actually called the Dancing Bear Park which I think is unfortunate and even misleading. Some people may think they are going there to see bears dancing but thankfully this is now banned in Bulgaria with rescued bears living here safely and in peace. The park is near Belitsa town which is very close to Bansko.
Actually reaching the park was a bit of an adventure as the road was terrible, basically a dirt track resembling an obstacle with pot holes and boulders all over the place. We did think about turning back but kept going and then we came to roadworks. Great news, they are laying a proper road but they are doing both bits together so the road was totally blocked. We sat for a wee while wondering what to do, watching the workmen when another car pulled up behind us. They got out of their car and came to speak to us and told us that if we waited a few minutes we would get through. They run a barbecue cafe opposite the bear park so were used to doing this journey every day. Hopefully, by now the road will be finished and getting there will be a lot easier and smoother for cars, if not persevere as it is well worth the visit.
On arriving at the park we were surprised that it was free to get into but it does have a donation box on the door which we put money into before we left. The park was founded by Four Paws and is also partly funded by the Brigette Bardot Foundation.
As we stood at the door of the main building a young lady came out who gave us a tour of the lower section of the bear park. She gave us lots of information on the Bears and the work being done and we were also able to ask her questions. There are twenty nine bears in the park at the moment, most were dancing bears, but there are also bears from a circus and a zoo. Two are just being looked after while their owners improve their living conditions for them.
In the lower section the enclosures had two bears each in them . These enclosures were smaller than the other areas in the park but still large enough for the bears to roam freely and basically it homed the more vulnerable bears (two were blind) or the newer bears until they were ready to be put into the main areas.
In the first enclosure we could see one bear close up and further off we thought we saw a cub which did wander up towards us. It actually was not a cub but it had been fed so badly while it was growing that its size had been stunted.
After our short tour we were left to wander around the rest of the park ourselves. It was lovely to see the bears roaming around and acting more naturally than they previously could. The bears have started to go back to displaying normal behaviour such as hibernating, something they never did when being kept to perform . They all had access to water to swim or bathe in and we did see one frolicking about in a pool, enjoying a dip in the sunshine.
At the very top of the park there is an information centre with a good viewing point right over the park. It actually has lovely views of the surrounding mountains too. Up there a ranger appeared who asked if we would like to see a video about the park which we did. It mainly focussed on the life story of one of the bears who had been kept as a dancing bear but through his story the life of most dancing bears was told.
Performing bear cubs are basically taking away from their mothers at about 7 months old and their noses are pierced and a nose ring put in. Their lip is also pierced and a chain is attached between the two. This is very painful and every time the chain is yanked the bear responds to the pain which makes it look like it is dancing. The owners have a string attached to their musical instrument and as it moves about so the chain is yanked, forcing the bear to move. The bears also have their claws
removed so they cannot harm their owners. All the dancing bear bears in the park have had their rings and chains removed but all have permanent damage to their noses and lips, some were really quite extreme.
The bear we saw the video about was blind, it's past history was unclear with stories of it being in a road accident or maybe even blinded by being given alcohol to drink. Initially the staff thought its sight may be saved but on operating realised the eyeballs had been totally crushed with what they thought was it being hit with a metal bar. The video actually showed the original owner who had been well off when he had the bear to perform but now struggles to live, so although I do not condone the behaviour , you can see why if people have families to support they do what they have to do, especially if they themselves have been brought up in families of bear owners.
Thankfully the world is changing and just like the elephants we saw in Thailand and Cambodia, the dancing bears in Bulgaria and the reduction of bull fighting in Several countries, people are starting to change their views.
The Dancing Bear park is well worth a visit so I would strongly suggest you visit it if in the area and support its work. The bears can never be returned to the wild as they could not look after themselves, one of them only had three legs.
We also went to the barbecue cafe which was excellent and the Shepherd's Salad was delicious.
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