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Urgent Bear Family Rescue

55%
£49658.00 / £90000.00
Frequency
Amount
could help cover the ongoing costs of food and enrichment to aid in the psychological recovery of bears like Lola.
could support routine veterinary care and health monitoring, ensuring the bears remain healthy throughout their rehabilitation.
could contribute toward the construction of the new sanctuary, helping give rescued bears a safe, species-appropriate space where they can live in peace.
Amount
could help provide nutritious food for one of the bears for a week, essential as they recover from years of malnutrition.
could help pay for diagnostic tests and medical supplies, giving our partners the tools they need to treat the bears' injuries.
could help equip the new sanctuary with critical infrastructure - from fencing to bedding - giving bears like Noah’s family a safe place to finally rest.

Intro

On a residential street, hidden in a backyard, in a dark cage soaked in faeces and urine, we’ve just uncovered the unimaginable: Noah’s family – his father, mother, and sister – THREE BEARS still imprisoned. And they need your help now. 

Earlier this year, you might remember we broke Noah the bear free from a tiny cage at an auto repair shop. Through our partner FPWC’s investigation work and continued monitoring of captive bears across Armenia, they located Noah’s family, consisting of his father, mother and sister! They have been named Aram, Nairi and Lola. The conditions they have been in are just as harrowing and disgusting as what Noah experienced. 

There’s no time to lose, please donate now to help provide the care these THREE bears desperately need. Right now, we’re building a new center where Noah’s family will one day live. So not only will your donations go towards the initial care of these three bears, it will also pave a future for the family to be together again, safe and free in a new enclosure. Donate now to help reunite a broken family and give them the second chance they deserve. 

Thanks to two incredibly generous donors, every single donation to this appeal is being MATCHED*. This timing couldn’t be better, because Aram, Nairi and Lola need you NOW. So please make a donation today and ensure your impact is DOUBLED! 

All single gifts and the first instalment of new monthly gifts will be matched up to £50,000 and $55,000.

double

  • The Rescue

    Picture the scene: a street in the city of Yerevan, Armenia. Steps leading up to the door of a house. Through the door, a narrow hallway, two more doors, then out into a yard. And there, a dungeon-style building, dark and filthy…there they are, lit by the beam from a torch -three captive bears, hidden in the shadows of this hell-hole. Two smaller ones huddled together in one foul cell, the third – a much larger bear – alone, caged alongside them. Is it really? Yes, it’s Noah’s family: Aram, Nairi and young Lola. 

    Aram has spent 12 years in this hellish prison. He was bred with 10-year-old Nairi, who gave birth to Lola, to Noah…and maybe others. In fact, Nairi still shows signs of lactation, suggestion more cubs are still out there.

    All we know is these three bears need your help NOW. 

    The “owner” of these bears put up a fight! They did not want to let these poor traumatized souls go easy, leading to the longest drawn out rescue mission to date. But the team – our partners FPWC, came armed with a legal order of confiscation, accompanied by the police and emergency services.

    We have evidence of the bears being fed COLA?! No wonder Aram’s teeth are completely rotten and in urgent need of medical attention. Experience has taught us that the years in captivity are likely to have had a profound and traumatic effect on the bears. The vets and keepers are prepared for whatever damage they have suffered, but this relies on your kind donations to help them recover and heal.

    Undercover Footage

    Aram

  • Reunite the family

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    All four bears will need to go through a substantial amount of care to recover from their prolonged trauma. The adult male bear – Aram – will more than likely need to undergo dental surgery in the near future, as it was discovered that some of his teeth are broken. 

    We simply cannot imagine the horror they endured each day within their filthy cages, their family tragically tore apart – but we’re determined to give them a safe and happy life, reunited once more.

    However, we are fast running out of room in our current rescue centre, and we’re in desperate need of more space for not just these four bears, but for many other bears who are still in need of rescue throughout Armenia. Our team suspects there are still around 50 brown bears in Armenia living in appalling conditions. These bears are being used as tourist attractions, kept as “pets,” or hidden away behind restaurants and private homes, confined to tiny cages, often surrounded by their own waste. 

    We are currently building a brand new rescue centre in the Armenian mountains, near Ushi, but we find ourselves with a funding gap. Please donate today - not only will your generosity support these sweet bears in the short term, giving them all the care they need to heal from their horrific past, but you will also help their care in the long term; together as a family.