The practice of keeping dancing bears — sloth bears trained through painful methods for street performance — has been largely eradicated but requires continued vigilance.
Dancing bears represent one of the most documented cases of systematic animal abuse for entertainment. Cubs were separated from mothers, subjected to painful procedures, and trained through chronic deprivation and pain. Rehabilitation revealed the depth of psychological trauma — many bears showed stereotypic behaviors and social difficulties even after years in sanctuary settings. The campaign to end dancing bears demonstrates that coordinated welfare advocacy can achieve transformative change.