The Problem

Bear baiting in Pakistan is the world's most savage blood sport. A bear, with claws blunted and teeth removed, is tied to a post in the centre of a stadium and set upon by dogs. When the fight looks like it is about to become fatal, it is stopped.

But only to give the exhausted bear time to rest before facing the dogs again.

Sometimes he will endure as many as seven fights in one day. All of this takes place in the name of 'sport'

But bear baiting is no sport. It is animal cruelty. The bears suffer terrible injuries and receive inadequate treatment, resulting in ongoing pain and permanent scarring. Away from the ring their misery continues. Supposed to roam for 20km a day in the wild, they are kept in confinement and receive poor diet and care.

Bear baiting is illegal in Pakistan, but the fights continue. So does the campaign by the World Society for the Protection of Animals to put a stop to this cruelty. Since 2001 we have worked with our member society the Bio-resource Research Centre towards our goal of an end to bear baiting.

Thanks to the generosity of Bricks for Bears supporters, we have just opened stage one of the new Balkasar Sanctuary in Pakistan, where seven rescued bears are now living in safety.

We have been able to stop 80% of fights from taking place, and we are educating the public through raising awareness in mosques. And we have developed an alternative livelihood program to enable a sustainable end to the bear-owning tradition.

In 2011 we are at a critical stage - now that the sanctuary is open, our focus is on rescuing the bears trapped in this cruelty one by one, but we need your support. Bricks for Bears is the next step in our campaign to bring an end to bear baiting in Pakistan.