After playing a pivotal role in ending the barbaric practice of dancing bears in India, IAR is now coming to the aid of dozens of suffering bears in Armenia.
We were recently alerted to the shocking conditions of squalor and neglect in which bears are being kept in restaurants, factories and bus depots all across Armenia. The bears are used to attract tourists or for the idle entertainment of their ‘owners.’
In August this year our CEO Alan Knight travelled to Armenia on a fact-finding mission. He says: “I have seen for myself the conditions these bears are living in and they are nothing short of appalling. Some have been living for years in cramped, barren cages, surviving only on scraps and filthy, stagnant water and standing on stinking mounds of their own faeces.
“Many of them relieve their boredom and frustration by pacing endlessly to and fro, banging their heads against the walls or climbing up the bars, searching frantically for an escape route. These beautiful creatures have been robbed of their dignity and their freedom. It is absolutely sickening.”
We are determined to put an end to this cruelty. Today we are launching The Great Bear Rescue to come to the aid of suffering bears in Armenia and give them the life and the freedom they deserve.
Work has been underway for some months now on the construction of a sanctuary for the bears which will provide a permanent home for those that can never return to the wild. Once rescued, each individual bear will undergo careful assessment, veterinary treatment and rehabilitation before its future is finally determined. Alan Knight will be returning to Armenia at the end of October to participate in the first rescue operations.
Click here to find out more and donate to The Great Bear Rescue