During the first week of December we successfully rescued three more caged bears living in abject misery in Armenia. As temperatures started to fall in Armenia and winter showed signs of setting in, the three bears were rescued from deplorable living conditions.
The first bear was hidden away in a tiny cage in the corner of a dark building. In one place the floor of the metal cage had completely rusted through, leaving a sharp jagged hole. It was a relief to everyone when that sad creature was safely removed from such a dark hell hole.
Next was a female bear of about ten years old surrendered by the owners of Shant restaurant in Yerevan. She has spent her entire life in captivity. Sadly her teeth are so badly damaged that she barely has any left.
Consequently, she is being fed entirely on soft food and chopped fruit and vegetables. The poor bear is also extremely overweight, having had very little space to move around in her cage and been fed on a highly unsuitable diet.
Like all the rescued bears, her physical and mental condition are being monitored closely by the medical team.
Finally, as heavy snow fell, the team came to the aid of a third bear at the Golden Hill restaurant in Gyumri. As the vet prepared to sedate her, she paced frantically around her small cage, desperate for the freedom and the life she deserves.
Thankfully she too is now safely in the quarantine quarters of Yerevan zoo and receiving expert attention and care from IAR’s partners FPWC.
Alan Knight OBE, IAR CEO, said: “It’s a huge relief to see three more bears removed from their lives of misery and neglect and
safely in our care. The support we have received for the Great Bear Rescue campaign so far has been absolutely heart-warming. It has enabled us to work with FPWC to end the misery of these beautiful brown bears that have suffered for years behind bars.
At long last we can give them the care and the attention they deserve. And with the help of the public we are determined to rescue dozens more that are still waiting for their torment to end.“Anyone who would like to make a special seasonal gift today so that we can come to the aid of more desperate bears can do so here.