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Some great news this weekend for Mima, Misho, and Svetla, the last of Bulgaria’s “dancing bears,” who were released to a mountain sanctuary on Friday after a lifetime of torture in the service of a horrific tradition. The process of forcing these animals to perform—a practice which sadly still continues in India and Pakistan—involves attaching a metal ring through their noses, which is pulled by a chain to create enough pain to induce them to walk on burning embers. According to the AP, the release of Mima, Misho, and Svetla to a sanctuary, thanks to the efforts of an activist group called the Four Paws Foundation, marks the end of a centuries-old tradition. Not only is this amazing news for the rescued animals, it’s also a great sign that people are finally starting to see just how cruel and barbaric it is to force animals to perform for our entertainment. Someone should probably tell Ringling Bros.
