PESHAWAR, April 20: A bear centre, established on the confluence of river Indus and river Kabul at Kund Park is serving as a haven for the trapped wild bears used in the cruel sport of dog fighting and street dancing.

The centre, established with the assistance of World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA), is the only facility in Pakistan for confiscated bears and is serving as deterrent to poaching and trapping of the wild bears, said Dr Mumtaz Malik, National Coordinator of bear baiting programme, while talking to APP.

The aim of the centre is to provide a living facility to those bears who were confiscated in the bear baiting programme, Dr Malik added.

Such bears, he said, could not be returned to their natural habitat after their release from the charmer who during captivity remove their teeth and nails to make them harmless and the animal also became dependent in eating due to stay with human beings.

Functioning since 2001 under the control of the NWFP Wildlife Department, five bears had so far been confiscated under the programme and were shifted to the centre, he said.

The establishment of the centre has played a vital role in containment of the practice of bear-dog fights in which the bear sustained severe injuries, Dr Malik remarked.

Similarly, he said, the cruel practice of bear dancing had also been controlled to a great extent, specially in the NWFP.