Brown Bear

Wild bears in Armenia are Syrian Brown Bears (Ursus arctos syriacus), one of the smaller sub-species of brown bear. They are found in the mountainous areas of the country where they forage for fruits, berries and insects in the meadows and forests and hibernate in caves and tree hollows. Their man-made prisons are a far cry from their natural home in the forest.

Donate to brown bears

Every year wild bears are illegally caught or trapped by poachers in Armenia. Once captured, most end up in small, barren cages in public entertainment venues including restaurants, hotels and roadside zoos, as well as petrol stations and even factories. They are used as a tourist attraction and to make money out of captive breeding.

Some are incarcerated for years in filthy, cramped cages with scarcely any food or water. Their environment meets none of their psychological or physical needs. They have very little space to move around and exercise and no enrichment to dispel their boredom and frustration. They lack everything they need to live life as nature intended.

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Captive Armenian bears rescued

Over 50 brown bears rescued from barren cages and given sanctuary.
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average life span

Syrian Brown Bears live for around 25 years in the wild.
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Length of Syrian Brown Bear

Syrian Brown Bears can grow to up to 140cm in length

Saving Brown Bears

In October 2017, working with Armenian group Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), International Animal Rescue launched The Great Bear Rescue campaign to help these suffering bears. It was believed there could be as many as 80 bears kept privately in cages across Armenia.

Our Brown Bear Conservation Work

We support the protection of Syrian brown bears in Armenia through our partnership with the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC). In Armenia, bears are often kept illegally in captivity – confined to tiny cages outside restaurants, petrol stations, or private homes, where they suffer in silence with little to no access to natural behaviours, nutrition, or veterinary care.

Together with FPWC, we help rescue these bears and bring them to a sanctuary in the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge. Here, they receive urgent veterinary treatment, nutritious food, and the chance to roam in large, naturalistic enclosures. Many of the bears have endured years of trauma and neglect, so their rehabilitation is tailored to restoring both physical health and psychological wellbeing. Alongside rescue and rehabilitation, the project advocates for stronger wildlife protection laws in Armenia and works to end the private keeping of wild animals.