Kartick began his journey by aiming to end the ancient Indian tradition of dancing bears, which has existed for over 400 years. Wildlife SOS scavenged across India to locate and liberate bears that had suffered under the hands of those who would exploit them for entertainment.
That’s not all. Kartick and his team have since rescued elephants in cruel captivity. They have also made conscientious efforts to rescue and protect leopards, tigers, reptiles, and other animals.
Let’s take a look at some of Kartick’s success stories.
400 years ago, the courts of the Mughal emperors would bring out bears to dance for their wealthy guests as entertainment.
These tortured animals, known as the Dancing Bears, lived at the end of a 4-foot rope dancing to the tune of traditional drums enduring constant pain and punishment. Most of these bears were separated from their mothers at birth and were tortured by poachers and bear trainers.
400 years since the fall of the Mughal Empire, the tradition of the dancing bears has been continued by a nomadic Indian tribe known as the Kalandars. These tortured bears are now littered across various street corners in India, performing for tourists and passersby.
As cubs, their mothers are brutally murdered by poachers who cart away the cubs for sale to members of the Kalandar tribe. Once a Kalandar tribesman obtains a bear, their faces are mutilated to pass a rope through their snout.
Their teeth are mercilessly knocked out to render these bears harmless and malleable. They are then deprived of their chances at freedom and paraded around as cheap entertainment.
By chance, Kartick Satyanarayan witnessed dancing bears being paraded around by Kalandars to perform for tourists. The visual of these scared animals, the trauma in their eyes, and the atrocious conditions of the bears motivated Kartick to take action.
In 1995, Kartick and Geeta Seshamani co-founded the not-for-profit organisation WildlifeSOS. The first item on their list was the eradication of dancing bears.
Releasing these bears back into the wild was out of the question. What they could provide the bears was a sanctuary where they could live out the rest of their days. Having been plucked from their mothers as cubs, these bears are in need of constant care and attention.
Over the span of about two decades, Kartick and his team tackled this issue on many fronts.
Kartick and his team spent a lot of time creating an extensive network of informers who would locate and inform about dancing bear sightings. Kartick and his team would pinpoint the location and focus on the rescue and relocation of these bears into their sanctuary.
Kartick and his team have rescued more than 1200 bears. The last dancing bear was rescued in December of 2009. His dedication was vital to rendering India free of the practice of dancing bears.
Once the bears are rescued, their ropes are removed, and they are tended to with ultimate care by trained veterinarians. Many of these bears came in malnourished and with many health issues. They have since been rehabilitated and allowed to roam freely within the sanctuary.
The battle doesn’t stop with simple rescue and rehabilitation. The Kalandar tribe treated the dancing bears as their sole source of income. They needed guidance to change their ways.
Kartick and his team dedicated time and effort to training the Kalandars in other vocations. Many Kalandars were convinced to become informants.
They were also educated to pursue other career paths. The women were empowered to take up alternative vocations. Not only that, Wildlife SOS made efforts to educate Kalandar children in wildlife conservation and other academics.
By allowing the Kalandars to gradually opt into the program, they became protectors of the very wildlife they once tamed with fear.
Today, many Kalandars work as informants and wildlife rescue workers. Others have taken up vocations like farming, transport, goods trading, small-time entrepreneurship, etc.
With the Kalandars working together with Wildlife SOS, Kartick has been successful in permanently ending the plight of the dancing bears.
In India, plenty of elephants are still held in captivity or illegally by poachers and cruel masters who work these gentle creatures to the point of exhaustion and death. They are either traded or trained to obey human commands.
These elephants are forced to trek back and forth or perform unnatural tricks under heinous conditions without proper care or nutrition. To domesticate the wild elephant, it is often kept in a cramped cage without food or water for days at a time.
Once the elephant’s spirit is broken, it obeys commands without protest out of fear and trauma. These domesticated elephants are prone to:
Champa was a roadside elephant that provided rides to paying customers. Kartick and Geeta repeatedly encountered Champa on the roadside while searching for dancing bears. They would stop to give Champa treats, but with time, they realized her dire condition.
Champa’s body was battered and bruised, and her owner refused to accept medical care. Champa’s condition eventually worsened, and her owner handed Champa over to WildlifeSOS. The group called on multiple vets to help Champa regain her feet.
Because of Champa, the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre (ECCC) was established in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. The ECCC tended to Champa’s health and well-being. Champa’s rescue sparked a search for elephants across India that were victims of inhumane circumstances.
Champa was the first elephant that WildlifeSOS rescued. Other elephants with equally tragic stories have since joined Champa at the ECCC. Here are some of the brief stories of elephants who have found the same refuge:
Bhola
Bhola was a victim of a treacherous accident that occurred in Noida. He was found unconscious with broken bones and horrendous bruises. With a steady hand from WildlifeSOS, Bhola survived. He was the second Elephant to enter the ECCC.
Suzy
Suzy was a part of the circus for over 65 years. She was forced to do unnatural tricks and discarded when her mistreatment left her on the verge of death. She was rescued by WildlifeSOS in 2015, and she is one of the oldest residents at the ECCC, now a little over 73 years old.
Raju
Raju’s captors had stolen as a young calf. Raju endured 50 years of torture from multiple owners. His body was covered in scars, bruises and open wounds. He was bound in spiked chains that dug into his legs, causing suffering 24/7. He was malnourished and wounded at the time of his rescue. In the care of WildlifeSOS, Raju plays joyfully in the water and mud, living out his remaining days.
Kartick’s journey is filled with the unspoken gratitude of thousands of animals. Having fallen prey to the hands of cruel fate, these animals have since become a mainstay in Kartick’s life with WildlifeSOS.
Their stories are an indication of how far society has to advance to be true partners in wildlife conservation. Many of the rescued animals are endangered. As a people, we have to step up and fight to preserve our wildlife for future generations.
Kartick and his team at WildlifeSOS repeatedly teach us that a little compassion can go a long way. With the right level of dedication, anyone can move mountains.
At MemoryTrain, we are firm believers in the power and magic of nature. Every beautiful creature that exists in our world should be cared for and protected in order to avoid extinction.
That is why we have dedicated ourselves to creating a growing collection of wildlife memorabilia that are created from high quality materials. Our collection of mugs and sculptures are a budding set that is continuously expanding.
With time, we intend to spread awareness about wildlife conservation to assist Kartick and his warriors at WildlifeSOS in their fight.
Our specially crafted mug, known as "Tusker Tale" is an ode to Kerala’s state animal—the elephant. It also pays homage to Kartick and WildlifeSOS for all their dedication and hardwork to preserving the lives of tortured elephants.
We also have beautiful sculptures like the “Hornbill Couple” and the “Malabar Giant Squirrel” that serve as excellent starters for intelligent discussions about wildlife conservation. Join us in commemorating the magnitude of our planet and its wildlife.
Make memories that transform thought with MemoryTrain. Contact us to know more.
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