Skip to main content

Brown Bear Protection

Ending suffering for caged bears
Endangered
Urtsadzor, Armenia
Frequency
Amount
Amount

Project Summary

We are dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating Syrian brown bears kept in appalling conditions across Armenia. Many of these bears were held illegally in small cages, often outside restaurants, roadside attractions, or private homes, used for entertainment or simply kept as exotic pets. The bears arrive suffering from severe physical and psychological trauma, including broken teeth, damaged paws from walking on concrete, and behavioural signs of distress.

Once rescued, the bears are taken to our partner, FPWC’s, sanctuary where they can recover in a peaceful, natural environment. Rehabilitation focuses on relieving stress through habitat enrichment and proper diet. Where appropriate, bears are eventually released into the wild.

Local Partner: FPWC 

armenia

Project aims and impact:

r
r
g

The Full Story

The Wildlife Rescue Centre (WRC) in Urtsadzor, Armenia officially opened on 15 December 2017, marking a pivotal moment in International Animal Rescue’s partnership with the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC). Nestled within the 20,000-hectare Caucasus Wildlife Refuge, the centre was established after the successful rescue of three lions from a zoo in Gyumri. Its primary mission is to rescue and rehabilitate brown bears kept in captivity across Armenia.

The centre is specially designed to meet the needs of rescued bears, with space for over 30 individuals. It features outdoor enclosures with bathing pools, underground dens, quarantine facilities, and a fully equipped veterinary clinic. Surveillance cameras provide constant monitoring, ensuring the animals’ safety and wellbeing.

When bears arrive at the WRC, they often display severe psychological trauma from captivity, such as pacing and circling. A carefully structured rehabilitation process begins with quarantine, where they receive enrichment and care to help ease these behaviours. Once cleared of disease, the bears are transferred to outdoor enclosures where their progress is closely monitored. If they begin showing natural behaviours like foraging or hibernation, they may be considered for release back into the wild.

fd

Dental issues are common among rescued bears due to poor diets and constant gnawing on cage bars. To address this, IAR’s volunteer dental team—led by veterinary specialist Gerhard Putter and dentist Paul Cassar—regularly visits Armenia to perform procedures including extractions and root canals, not just at the rescue centre but also at Yerevan Zoo.

A major milestone came in May 2018, when two young siblings, Bambak and Zangak, were released into the wild—the first such release in Armenia. Orphaned when their mother was shot, they were raised at the centre with minimal human interaction to prepare them for life in the wild. One wore a GPS collar to track her movements post-release. In May 2019, another release followed: Dasha, one of the first rescued bears, was returned to the wild with her two cubs, Coco and Luca, born during her rehabilitation. These successful releases show the transformative impact of the rescue centre and highlight the long-term goal of rewilding Armenia’s captive bears.