Vienna, 19 February 2025 – FOUR PAWS announced plans of a possible rescue of bear Felix. This is a major milestone for the global animal welfare organisation, who has been advocating to rescue five bears from cruel private keeping in Slovenia since fall 2022. Felix’s owner agreed to act in the best interest of the animal and to hand him over to FOUR PAWS. Due to the frail health of the 34-year-old bear, Felix has to be cleared for relocation first. If he is fit for transport, FOUR PAWS plans to take Felix to its BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach in Austria, where he can spend the rest of his life in specialised care and a species-appropriate home. Although the possible rescue of bear Felix is a first success, two more bears remain suffering in private keeping. FOUR PAWS urges the authorities and owners to follow suit and rescue bear Tim and Mici before it is too late.

The FOUR PAWS campaign in Slovenia has received broad public support with almost 100,000 people internationally joining the call to rescue the bears from their suffering in two restaurants and a private zoo.

Evident negligence: Bear Felix was wrongly presumed dead

The extent of neglect of the bears by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning is apparent through this mix-up. Bear Felix was wrongly presumed dead by the authorities. He had been mistaken for his partner Mascha, who had unfortunately passed away in February 2024. Only later was this misinformation corrected, when it was found that Felix was still alive during an inspection.

Bear Felix — a life in captivity

Since his birth in 1991, bear Felix has been a so-called ‘restaurant bear’ to attract and entertain guests. Living in a small concrete enclosure next to a busy road, he has been deprived of a species-appropriate life for decades. When FOUR PAWS visited Felix when his partner Mascha was still alive, they found the two bears lethargic.

It is very likely that decades of captivity in substandard conditions have taken a toll on his health. At 34 years, Felix is already a geriatric, frail bear - visibly suffering from pain when walking or getting up. As bear Felix is currently spending a lot of time in his den, FOUR PAWS will visit the brown bear in spring with a wildlife veterinarian to assess if he is fit for a transfer to BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach. As especially geriatric animals often have difficulty adapting to a new environment, which can lead to substantial stress, FOUR PAWS will conduct a holistic assessment of Felix’s welfare before a possible relocation.

For further information on the bears and if you want to support the FOUR PAWS campaign to rescue bear Tim and bear Mici click here.