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Max

Male , 17 years old

Adopt Max today

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About Max

Max was rescued after spending 14 years in a tiny cage at a bus depot with his companion Minnie. The two bears had languished in their filthy, barren prison for years upon years. Max was far too large for our usual bear rescue crates and so he was to be transported in a horse trailer. He was undoubtedly the biggest bear we have ever seen. It took a team of ten men to carry Max into his trailer where three vets were waiting to monitor him on his 45-minute journey to the rescue center.

Max is now living out his days in comfort along with his companion Minnie. Although Max may not be viable for release, he is still a happy and adventurous bear who enjoys nothing more than splashing around in the pool with Minnie and taking a nap in the sun.

Adopt Max today to receive regular updates and join him on his journey through life as a joyful bear, free from misery and neglect.

Max's Story

When we first met Max, he had been locked up for 14 years in a tiny cage at a bus depot with his companion Minnie. For over a year we fought to overcome the obstacles thrown in the way of the bears’ rescue by their owner. Thankfully, he finally admitted defeat and agreed to surrender them both. On 23rd November 2018 we joined with our partners FPWC (Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets) to take on the rescue of the two bears who had languished in their filthy, barren prison for years upon years.

Armed with apples and honey to distract the bears from the commotion of the rescue, our vet safely anaesthetised Max, a male Siberian brown bear who weighed in at half a ton. We hoped that they would sense we were there to help them and wouldn’t be too distressed. Max was far too large for our usual bear rescue crates and so he was to be transported in a horse trailer. He was undoubtedly the biggest bear we have ever seen. The team set about cutting through the iron bars of the cage as the cage door had been welded up long ago – a clear indication that, had it not been for our rescue operation, Max and Minnie would have lived in that ghastly cage until the day they died. It seems that Max had been born in that cage and so has only ever known life behind bars, kept for the idle entertainment of his captor as nothing more than a trophy.

It took a team of ten men to carry Max into his trailer where three vets were waiting to monitor him on his 45-minute journey to the rescue center. Fortunately, the journey went smoothly and on arrival, a team from our partners FPWC were ready and waiting to carry him to his quarantine quarters where a soft bed of straw awaited him. Some hours later, Max slowly woke up in his new home.

Max and Minnie in the tiny cage we found them
Max asleep in the horse cart

In the days that followed his rescue, Max was given constant care and attention as he adjusted to his surroundings and began his new life free from misery and neglect. They were both malnourished and underweight and their joints must have been so painful from the strain of standing on a hard concrete floor for so long, with barely any room to turn around or stretch their legs.

After completing quarantine and recovering from some vital dental surgery, Max and Minnie ventured outside where they felt soft grass beneath their paws for the first time! Minnie was the braver of the two, stepping straight out after a tentative sniff of the air. She then set about exploring the dens that had been specially built for them to mimic the caves wild bears use as dens in the Armenian mountains. At first, Max was shy and overwhelmed and called out to Minnie whenever she was out of sight. Soon enough, his confidence grew and he was digging into the soil with his powerful paws, playing with rocks he had unearthed and eating the roots and grass. Max really seemed to come alive, looking happy and alert with his head held high – it was as though he had been doing it all his life! After 20 minutes spent digging and playing they turned to rolling around in muddy puddles to cool themselves off on a sweltering hot day.

The two bears were inseparable and that night were found snuggled up happily together. Max was clearly dreaming of the day’s activities because he was making digging motions with his paws as he slept! He can often be found dozing and dreaming of the fun activities he has got up to during the day.

Max and Minnie in their new enclosure
Max getting settled

The combination of many years in captivity and the fact that he is a non-native species of bear in Armenia means Max will never be suitable for release into the wild. But, we have made a lifelong commitment to Max and he has a home with us for the rest of his days.

In October 2017, we launched a new campaign alongside FPWC to help save the suffering bears of Armenia that are illegally caught and kept in captivity. ‘The Great Bear Rescue’ aims to free them from their suffering of being used as public entertainment and tourist attractions, rehabilitate them and release back into the wild those that are physically and mentally equipped to fend for themselves.

All of the bears, including Max, in FPWC’s facility in the beautiful Armenian mountains of Urtsadzor, have access to a variety of enrichment such as pools to play in, wobble trees to retrieve fruit from and underground dens to sleep in. The sanctuary, built and funded by us here at International Animal Rescue, provides a permanent home and safe haven for those that are not viable for release where they will be well cared for, well fed and have the freedom to express natural bear behaviour.

Max and Minnie going for a walk
Happy Max

What you get?

Adopt Max today and you will receive:

  • A personalised certificate in recognition of your adoption
  • A high quality picture of Max to frame
  • An animal fact sheet with information on Max and orangutans as a whole
  • Exclusive news, photos and videos of your adopted animal sent via email and avaliable online
  • A soft plush brown bear toy (optional)
Max Adoption Pack