Help for Bears in Slovenia
FOUR PAWS aims to expedite an end to the private keeping of bears in Slovenia
Since 2004, it is forbidden for private persons in Slovenia to keep bears that were taken from the wild. Owners of bears that were obtained before 2004 and that could not be released back into the wild, could get approval from the competent Ministry to keep those individuals. That is why even today, years after the introduction of the legislation, bears still suffer in small cages in Slovenia in private hands.
In line with our goal to end the illegal and inappropriate keeping of brown bears in Southeast Europe, in 2022 FOUR PAWS assessed the living conditions of the remaining privately kept bears in Slovenia. The findings were shocking: All bears are being kept in small concrete cages without access to species-appropriate food or care. They show strong stereotypical behaviour, which is caused by boredom and stress; and they have few possibilities if any to hide from visitors. None of the bears have access to enrichment to encourage their natural behaviours, keep them occupied, and stimulate their playfulness and curiosity. Some do not even have the possibility to bathe or climb. And what’s more – two bears need urgent medical treatment!
We want to end the suffering of these bears, but as the keepings are legal, we need cooperation from the bears' owners and support from the respective authorities. Therefore, FOUR PAWS has approached the Slovenian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Food and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning to work together on a phase-out plan to expedite an end to the private keeping of bears in Slovenia.
These Bears Deserve Better
Hope for bear Felix
Needs urgent medical treatment
Surrounded by cage bars for 20+ years
A lifetime on concrete
Timeline of FOUR PAWS activities
April
Felix was visually checked by one of our wildlife veterinarians and was found fit for a transfer! The planned rescue of bear Felix is a major milestone for Slovenian bears suffering in private keeping and an important victory for animal welfare.
December
Our protest has resulted in the Ministry ordering inspections, imposing sanctions on the bear owners to improve the conditions for the animals, and also persuading the bear owners to voluntarily surrender their bears to FOUR PAWS. In the case of bear Felix, the authorities were successful and the owner agreed to voluntarily hand Felix over to FOUR PAWS. We will do everything in our power to provide Felix with a bear-worthy life and special care in BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach. However, given his advanced age of 34 years, a thorough veterinary examination in spring 2025 will need to determine first, if his health allows for a relocation.
September
Another bear has died from the negligence of the authorities and the bear owners in Slovenia.
Mitko was euthanized one day before the deadline to improve his living conditions, which had for years been inadequate, expired. After the previous veterinary inspector failed to help Mitko, a new inspector was appointed and tasked with checking Mitko’s living conditions and starting his confiscation process. Sadly, Mitko died before he could ever experience a bear-worthy life.
March
Although the responsible authorities received veterinary reports from FOUR PAWS that prove that the bears suffer and need help, they have not undertaken any action to help the bears. In March, FOUR PAWS launched a campaign to put public pressure on the responsible authorities to finally take legal action towards confiscation of the bears.
February
In February 2024, FOUR PAWS was informed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning that bear Felix has died and that his companion, bear Mascha, is still alive. This information was later rectified by the authorities in 2024, confirming that Felix was still alive and Mascha was the bear that had passed away. We cannot say why the mix-up occurred, but it shows that the authorities are still not paying enough attention to the bears held in captivity in Slovenia.
September
FOUR PAWS approaches representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning to address the welfare problems of the last five privately kept bears again. Additionally, FOUR PAWS renews its offer to support improvements for the bears and placement of the bears in FOUR PAWS sanctuaries. There the bears can finally get the chance to get species-appropriate care for the rest of their lives.
July
After a year of continued suffering for the five bears, the ongoing exchange and joint assessment with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food have unfortunately still not led to any improvements for the bears. The Ministry seems to have let go of their initial motivation to help the bears and instead refers FOUR PAWS to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning. Unfortunately, previous attempts to involve representatives of this Ministry in the assessment have not led to any response.
June
A veterinary report from the joint assessment was shared with the authorities. For all bears the recommendation by the wildlife veterinarian is similar: The bears currently suffer in inappropriate conditions, lack proper care and show physical damage and psychological behaviour disorders. They should be translocated as soon as possible to species-appropriate facilities. Quote from a report on bear Mici: “In summary, I would highly recommend translocating the animal to an adequate, species-appropriate keeping facility to prevent further physical and psychological damage for animal welfare reasons.”
May
Joint assessment visit of the five bears with an experienced wildlife veterinarian and representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food. All participants of the assessment visit confirm the previous conclusion that the bears suffer and are in need of urgent help.
October 2022
After constructive conversations with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, the authorities agreed on a joint visit to assess the living and keeping conditions of the bears, together with an experienced wildlife veterinarian. Based on this assessment, written recommendations were planned to be provided by the wildlife veterinarian for each individual bear with the goal to improve their welfare.
August
FOUR PAWS conducted an assessment of the living and keeping conditions of the five last remaining bears in private captivity in Slovenia and found out that the animals are suffering in inappropriate conditions. As a next step, FOUR PAWS approached the Slovenian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, which is responsible for the welfare of captive bears in Slovenia. FOUR PAWS offered to work on a phase-out plan together with the Ministry to expedite an end to the private keeping of bears in Slovenia.
