The brown bear in Europe: its plight and dental needs

The brown bear is one of the most persecuted animals in the world. In Greece, Turkey, Pakistan and India they are used as dancing spectacles by gypsies. The mother is killed so that the cubs can be captured at a very early age and subjected to training that involves extreme cruelty: starvation, beatings and red-hot metal plates, as well as rings and chains through their noses and lips, are used to make the animals stand on their hind feet and mimic a dance routine so that their handlers can collect money in the streets. The author describes the treatment of the first bears to benefit from the facilities at the new Bear Protection Centre set up by Arcturos.