For the first 23 years of her life, brown bear Mici spent her days in an enclosure next to a restaurant in Slovenia. Since 2022, we've hoped to welcome Mici into our care, and we are now grateful that her owner has willingly chosen to entrust her to us. We commend him for making the right decision to give Mici the chance of a better life. We also thank the responsible authorities, who are helping us to end the private keeping of bears in Slovenia.

Now we can celebrate a turning point as we can provide Mici with a fresh start in BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach in Austria. After her rescue, our dedicated sanctuary team will develop a care and treatment plan tailored to her needs and monitor Mici closely to adjust the plan as necessary. In Arbesbach, Mici will have access to a large species-appropriate outdoor enclosure with trees, bushes and a big pool — a place where she can roam, rest, and rediscover what it means to be a bear.

To prepare Mici for her upcoming rescue, our team visited her at the restaurant where she was visually examined and vaccinated by our wildlife veterinarian. It was confirmed that bear Mici is fit for transport to Austria. Mici seems to be in good condition for her age, but does become quite stressed when people approach her enclosure. At BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach, Mici will be living in a forest-like enclosure offering her plenty of space so that she can retreat if she wants to.

Since 2022, FOUR PAWS has been engaged in rescuing the last remaining bears in Slovenia, including Mici. Our assessment of their living conditions revealed that the enclosures failed to meet the standards for species-appropriate bear keeping. In response, we approached the Slovenian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, the authority responsible for the welfare of captive bears, and offered to work together on a phase-out plan to finally end the private keeping of bears in Slovenia.

With Mici's rescue, we are just one step away from achieving our goal of ending the private keeping of bears in Slovenia once and for all. We are grateful to the authorities who have helped make this possible, and to her former owner for choosing compassion and making the right decision. While bears like Mici and Felix now have a second chance in life, bear Tim continues to live in inadequate conditions. We respectfully urge Tim's owner to take the same compassionate steps and offer him the chance of a better life.

Mici is officially the newest resident of BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach! Her rescue began under pouring rain, but nothing was going to stop the team. When they arrived, wildlife veterinarian Marc Gölkel visually checked on her — she was calm, curious, and ready for a new chapter. He prepared his equipment, offered Mici a bit of honey (yes, bears really love honey), and safely darted her. She went down smoothly, and a quick examination showed that Mici is in generally good health for a 23-year-old bear lady, with some dental issues common in brown bears kept in poor captivity. A more detailed examination will take place at the sanctuary once Mici has fully settled in.

She was then placed in the transport crate and loaded onto the transport truck. She woke up and recovered well from anesthesia, and then the team hit the road toward Arbesbach. During the 6-7 hour drive, the vet checked on her regularly and made sure she had fresh water.

And then — they arrived to a snow-covered sanctuary, a true winter wonderland. Mici was brought to her adaptation enclosure, and we all held our breath watching her take those very first steps into her new life. Within seconds she was already snacking on treats prepared by the team — apples, grapes, pears, nuts, honey, and more. And by morning? She had already dug herself a big cozy hole to rest in. A clear sign: she slowly starts to adapt to her new surroundings. Now we give her all the time she needs to build up trust and confidence. Thank you for supporting Mici’s journey to our sanctuary — a journey that began three years ago. We’re grateful to the Slovenian authorities for the excellent collaboration, and to her former owner for making the right decision and allowing this rescue to happen. Welcome home, Mici.

With Felix and Mici safe, only one bear remains — Tim. We will do everything we can to bring him to BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach too. A big forest enclosure is awaiting Tim and we hope he will move in soon as well. With the amended Animal Welfare Act and the introduction of the positive list, private keeping of brown bears in Slovenia will soon be banned, which gives us great hope to welcome Tim soon in BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach as well.