Just arrived: Jewelry to support the rescue of dancing bears

Bead and thread necklacesI now have a variety of jewelry that I am selling to help support the rescue of dancing bears in India. The jewelry is made by the Kalandar people, who as I wrote about in a previous post, have traditionally made their living as dancing bear masters.

Cord and bead braceletsThe bears had been poached as cubs and endured lives of misery and pain before the establishment of the Kalandar Rehabilitation program, which offers these people alternative ways to earn a living in exchange for turning over their bears to the Wildlife SOS bear sanctuary. Although, technically, bear dancing is illegal, it still occurs and Wildlife SOS runs three rescue centers in India where rescued bears receive medical treatment, rehabilitation and life-long care in a natural environment.

Glass bead braceletsHere is an assortment of the jewelry, made with glass, ceramic and wooden beads, that I have. This is just a selection; there are many more styles. I will have this jewelry with me at the various selling events I will be doing in December (see Where to Buy). Click on thumbnails of images to enlarge.