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Armenian Bears

Armenia
Frequency
Amount
could help pay for soft bedding to soothe their aches and pains.
could help us pay the expert vets who attend every rescue.
could pay for the ongoing treatment and care these bears desperately need.
Amount
could help us provide enrichment activites to keep the bears stimulated and active.
could provide the bears with a healthy meal once they reach our rescue centre.
could provide a fully stocked first aid kit for a rescue.
28
bears currently at the sanctuary
20-25
years - lifespan of a Syrian brown bear
100-140cm
- length of Syrian brown bears

Project Introduction

Every year wild bears are illegally caught or trapped by poachers in Armenia. Once captured, most end up in small, barren cages in public entertainment venues including restaurants, hotels and roadside zoos, as well as petrol stations and even factories. They are used as a tourist attraction and to make money out of captive breeding.

Wild bears in Armenia are Syrian Brown Bears (Ursus arctos syriacus), one of the smaller sub-species of brown bear. They are found in the mountainous areas of the country where they forage for fruits, berries and insects in the meadows and forests and hibernate in caves and tree hollows. Their man-made prisons are a far cry from their natural home in the forest.

Some are incarcerated for years in filthy, cramped cages with scarcely any food or water. Their environment meets none of their psychological or physical needs. They have very little space to move around and exercise and no enrichment to dispel their boredom and frustration. They lack everything they need to live life as nature intended.

In October 2017, working with Armenian group Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), International Animal Rescue launched The Great Bear Rescue campaign to help these suffering bears. It was believed there could be as many as 80 bears kept privately in cages across Armenia.

One of the alabaster factory bears looking through the bars
AMAZING RESCUE OF BEAR CUB

Our Work with Brown Bears

We support the protection of Syrian brown bears in Armenia through our partnership with the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC). In Armenia, bears are often kept illegally in captivity - confined to tiny cages outside restaurants, petrol stations, or private homes, where they suffer in silence with little to no access to natural behaviours, nutrition, or veterinary care.

Together with FPWC, we help rescue these bears and bring them to a sanctuary in the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge. Here, they receive urgent veterinary treatment, nutritious food, and the chance to roam in large, naturalistic enclosures. Many of the bears have endured years of trauma and neglect, so their rehabilitation is tailored to restoring both physical health and psychological wellbeing. Alongside rescue and rehabilitation, the project advocates for stronger wildlife protection laws in Armenia and works to end the private keeping of wild animals.

Syrian Brown Bear Facts

  • The Syrian Bear (Ursos arctos syriacus) is a sub-species of the Brown Bear (Ursus arctos.)
  • It once ranged throughout the Middle East, as far south as the Sinai Peninsula. However, the bears were often viewed as pests or threats to human safety and were killed as a result.
  • The killings, combined with loss of habitat through deforestation and subsequent desertification, led to a marked reduction in the bears’ range. Today the Syrian Bear still ranges from Turkey to Iran, including the Caucasus Mountains of Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan but is generally believed to be extinct in Syria, as well as neighbouring Lebanon.
  • The Syrian brown bear sleeps and hibernates in caves and hollow trees.
  • The female bear gives birth to up to three cubs during hibernation.
  • They are omnivorous bears and search for food in forests, grasslands and meadows They eat almost any kind of available food, such as fruit, berries, seeds, insects and small mammals.
  • The Syrian brown bear weighs up to 250kg and measures anywhere from 100 - 140cm from nose to tail. It is overall the smallest bear of the Ursus arctos species.
  • The most common colour is a very light brown. The lighter colours usually appear at higher altitudes. They may have a dark brown patch on their heads, a white collar, and a dark stripe down the back. Their legs are commonly darker than the rest of their body. It is the only known bear in the world to have white claws.
  • Status: Declining population; endangered. Overall however, listed as “of least concern” by the IUCN and on CITES Appendix II.
  • Lifespan: In the region of 20 to 25 years in the wild.