The Story behind the Gift:
Dancing bears are routinely ill-treated, malnourished and neglected – all in the name of so-called entertainment. The ARCTUROS sanctuary established in northern Greece provides a safe haven for confiscated bears that would otherwise have to remain with their abusive keepers. Mitsos is a European brown bear rescued from just such a pitiful existence in 1992 when he was seven years of age.
The traditional training forced on bears like Mitsos is intensely brutal. Forced to stand on hot metal plates, the bears instinctively stand on their hind feet and shuffle back and forth in a peculiar swaying motion, desperate to reduce the severe pain in their feet. The animals learn to associate the accompanying music with this ordeal and eventually perform these movements to the music automatically, creating the cruel impression of dancing. In order to control the bears, their noses and lips are pierced to insert a metal ring linked to a chain. Obedience is obtained using a sharp jerk, and the bears’ teeth are shattered to prevent them defending themselves.
Mitsos was taken from his mother as a very young cub and has been subjected to severe mouth and nose injuries. He can therefore never return to the wild. Funds raised through this adoption programme will primarily be used to care for Mitsos in a beautiful wooded five hectare sanctuary, as well as to protect bears in the wild.