Vienna/Slovenia, 29 August 2024 – Infested with parasites, aching teeth worn down from bar-biting, wounds from constant walking on concrete – the lives of bears Masha, Mici, Mitko and Tim are painful and bleak. The four bears are suffering severely from cruel substandard conditions in their private keepings in three restaurants and a private zoo in Slovenia. Despite being repeatedly alarmed by global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS about this cruelty, the responsible Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning and its veterinary inspectors have failed to act for more than two years. FOUR PAWS condemns this inaction and calls on the government to finally end this agony by confiscating Masha, Mici, Mitko and Tim and bringing them to a species-appropriate bear sanctuary.

“It’s shocking to see such appalling conditions in the heart of Europe. By turning a blind eye on this cruelty, the Slovenian authorities are prolonging the suffering of the bears. Masha, Mici, Mitko and Tim urgently need veterinary care and relocation to a bear sanctuary. It’s heartbreaking to see them locked up in filthy, tiny enclosures, their needs being blatantly neglected,” says Magdalena Scherk-Trettin, Wild Animal Rescue & Advocacy Senior Project Manager at FOUR PAWS.

Independent evaluations confirm urgency to act

Two independent evaluations by bear experts Djuro Huber and Agnieszka Sergiel recently confirmed the urgency to act.

“Clearly all bears are kept in substandard conditions. They are living miserable lives, kept as lifetime prisoners. Their welfare is limited to providing non-natural food. I propose to close all four outdated facilities and transfer the bears to a proper bear sanctuary,” recommends Professor emeritus Djuro Huber from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Zagreb University in Croatia.

FOUR PAWS first inspected the bear facilities in 2022 and has been advocating for their rescue and been calling on the responsible authorities to act ever since. The poor conditions of the bears, all of which are living in small, barren concrete enclosures with only scarce enrichment, have remained unchanged. FOUR PAWS has provided video footage of its visit in 2023 to wildlife experts Djuro Huber and Agnieszka Sergiel for an independent evaluation. The reports were also provided to the Slovenian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Safety. Dr. Sergiel’s report backs up the medical findings FOUR PAWS already shared with the authorities in June 2023.On the recording, obvious dental issues that require urgent addressing are visible: two broken teeth with open root canals, causing massive pain to bear Mitko. Mitko has also cracked footpads with multiple wear points from the continuous contact with concrete flooring, making it painful to walk and prone to ulceration. Bear Tim, who is overweight, has several lesions, most likely from his stereotypical behaviour, pressing his back to the bars and also from extensive laying on the concrete floor. Bear Mici most probably suffers from a parasite infection, and the poor condition of her hide is additionally worsened by a lack of proper swimming and rubbing opportunities in her enclosure. She also shows severe stereotypical behavior, pacing in her cage and tossing her head. Bear Masha, who, at approximately 34 years, is already geriatric, was found to be apathetic and also showing stereotypical behaviour like pacing along the cage walls, during the visit.