Riku was found chained up in a shack next his owner’s house in a small mountain village in Albania. He lived in a constant state of distress as he continually tried to free himself from the tight chains that held him.
Now, he loves playing with Teddy.

Teddy had a miserable life in his tiny, rusty cage. When he was a young bear, he had been kept under horrible conditions in Zoo Shtip in North Macedonia. He was rescued and brought to BEAR SANCTUARY Belitsa in 2020. Teddy lives with bears Riku and Iva.

Monti was saved from a hotel in the Ruse district of Bulgaria, when he was one and a half years old. The young bear had to live in a filthy 10m² room, and in misery since he was 2-3 months old. Now, Monti lives in freedom and enjoys eating his favourite food — fish.

For years Vesko was kept in a temporary indoor enclosure at Zoo Sofia. The zoo was aware of this unfortunate situation and searched for alternative solutions. Vesko is a lovely bear and has gained a lot of weight since his rescue in 2019. 

Boyka lived in a small concrete cage together with her sibling Standy at “Lipnik Forest Park” in the village of Nikolovo, Ruse District. They were transfered to BEAR SANCTUARY Belitsa in 2015, where Boyka adores eating declious melon.

Standy used to live in a small, concrete cage with his sister Boyka. Luckily, they were rescued togeher and now have a lot of space to live and roam. Standy is healthy and has the title of heaviest resident at BEAR SANCTUARY Belitsa, weighing in at over 350 kg!