Sussex based charity help rescue abused brown bears

Three brown bears who had suffered years of abuse in Armenia have been rescued with help from a Sussex based charity.

Aram, Nairi, and their daughter, Lola, were rescued after years of unimaginable suffering in a backyard in Yerevan.

Confined to filthy cages and denied even the most basic care, the bears were discovered during an investigation by the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets.

The male bear, Aram, was held captive for 12 years and repeatedly bred with Nairi, a female taken from the wild. Lola, their young daughter, was still imprisoned with them, while previous cubs had been taken and sold.

Alan Knight OBE, President of the Sussex based International Animal Rescue, who was at the rescue, said: “These were some of the worst conditions I have ever seen. The stench, the filth, the sheer cruelty of locking these animals up in tiny cages and feeding them cola, it was absolutely horrific.”

Now safe at FPWC’s wildlife rescue centre in Urtsadzor, which is supported by IAR, the bears are receiving urgent veterinary care. Aram suffers from broken and infected teeth, likely caused by years of poor diet and neglect. All three are in quarantine and under close observation.

International Animal Rescue is launching an urgent appeal to fund the ongoing care of these three bears and to help complete a new sanctuary where Aram, Nairi, Lola, and their previously rescued son Noah can live together safely.

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