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Dancing bears
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Though now officially illegal, the sorry spectacle of "dancing" bears being led on their chains by their gypsy owners still occurs in the Sea Gardens and elsewhere in Varna. The animals, which are fitted with painful nose-rings, are poorly treated, and visitors are best advised not to encourage this suffering by paying for photographs. There is a growing awareness among Bulgarians of the adverse image this business gives their country, and sanctuaries for rescued bears are being set up.
For further information, contact the World Society for the Protection of Animals: in the UK, 14th Floor, Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP (tel 0207/7930540, fax 7930208,
); in the USA, 34 Deloss St, Framingham, MA 01702 (tel 508/879 8350, fax 620 0786,
); in Canada, Suite 960, 90 Eglinton Ave East, Toronto, Ont M4P 2YE (tel 416/369 0044, fax 369 0147,
; in Australia, 46 Nicholson St, St Leonard's, NSW 2065 (tel 612/9901 5277, fax 9906 7703,
) Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Bulgaria,
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