Bear in sanctuary

the bear


Peace-loving animals suffering as pets, farmed for bile, and forced to perform for entertainment.

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facts about bears

Although bears are long feared as dangerous and nearly hunted to extinction, bears are actually quite peace-loving creatures. In the wild, these solitary omnivores spend up to 16 hours a day looking for food and roaming through fixed territories. There are eight bear species in the world, Ursus sp.

Asiatic black bear in Ninh Binh

Asiatic Black Bears

Interesting facts and the reason why this bear is exploited for bile


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Bear Bodia

10 Facts About Brown Bears

Intriguing facts about Europe's largest predator


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Bear eating a tomato

Brown Bear: Food & Feeding Behaviour

Facts about bear's diet and foraging behaviour that might surprise you


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Bear is sitting in the grass

Brown Bear: Way of Life & Offspring

A year in the life of a brown bear in the wild – from mating to winter sleep


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Bears sitting in snow

Brown Bear: Torpor or Hibernation?

How bears doze through the cold season – eating nothing for up to three months


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Enrichment in BEAR SANCTUARY

Enrichment for Bears

Search game for children – Dushi needs support!


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Bears Pashuk and Gjina at BEAR SANCTUARY Prishtina

Social Interactions of Our Wild Animals

According to their individual needs, our rescued animals get to experience social bonds in a safe environment 


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Happy and healthy Dushi

The Transformation of a Rescued Wild Animal

After being rescued, many of our animals go through an incredible mental and physical transformation 


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Bear in hibernation

FAQs about Bears in Hibernation 

All about the long winter snooze


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Bears in groups

Animals in Groups

From gaggle to gaze, from troop to parade – discover the unusual and funny collective animal names


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how bears suffer under cruel keeping coNditions 

Despite their size and strength, bears struggle to survive in the wild. Today, bears are found in dwindling protected areas and more likely to suffer in captivity. Whether kept in zoos, circuses, bile farms, or privately as pets, bears suffer terribly under bad living conditions. In captivity trapped in small inadequate cages, they are unable to act out their natural instincts such as roaming and hibernating.

Bile bear in a cage

bears farmed for bile

'Bile bears' live in tiny cages on bear farms, farmed for their bile

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Circus bear

bears suffering in circuses

Animal abuse for entertainment is still happening throughout the world

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Bear cub in cage

bears kept as pets in private keeping

Wild animals, including big cats and bears, should not be kept as pets

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Sad bear in zoo

bears in zoos

Wild animals kept in poor substandard zoos suffer

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Bears suffering in tourism

bears suffering for tourism

Bears are still abused for selfies or hunting sports

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what is four paws doing

Since 1998, FOUR PAWS has rescued over 200 bears from captivity. From revealing bear suffering to rescuing and protecting bears in our sanctuaries, FOUR PAWS is fighting the illegal wildlife trade and advocating for better keeping conditions for bears. We also rescue bears from crisis regions and disaster areas.

Bear in cage

help for bears

How FOUR PAWS rescues bears from bad keeping conditions

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rapid response for animals

FOUR PAWS helps rescue animals from war zones, crisis regions and disaster areas

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sad bear behind cage

our #saddestbears initiative

Ending the inappropriate keeping of brown bears in Europe and bile bear farming in Vietnam

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Our campaign to help bears
Bear rescue in action

animal rescues


FOUR PAWS rescue bears suffering under direct human influence

meet our rescues

our heartwarming rescues

FOUR PAWS looks after brown bears in Europe and Asian black bears in Vietnam.

Bear Andri in Prishtina

Rescue Bear Cub Andri

FOUR PAWS rescues orphaned bear cub from basement  


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Bear Tyson

Rescue Bear Tyson

One of 'Europe’s saddest bears' gets a new home at BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr


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Bear Bile

Biggest Bile Bear Rescue

Suffering bears find a species-appropriate and safe home


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Bear Mark behind bars

Rescue Bear Mark

After 20 years in a tiny cage, Albania's last restaurant bear is finally free


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Visit our bear sanctuaries

where rescued bears live in species-appropriate homes for the rest of their lives.

Bear Cuc BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh

BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh

A FOUR PAWS project in Vietnam since 2017


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Bear Luna at BEAR SANCTUARY Müritz

BEAR SANCTUARY Müritz

A FOUR PAWS project in Germany since 2006


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Bear Amelia at Arosa Bear Sanctuary

Arosa Bear Sanctuary

A cooperation project between FOUR PAWS and Arosa tourism in Switzerland since 2011


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Bear Ruta taking a bath at BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr

BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr

The FOUR PAWS forever home for abused brown bears in Ukraine since 2016


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Bear Erich at BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach

BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach

A FOUR PAWS project for abused bears in Austria since 1998


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Bear Standy at Belitsa

BEAR SANCTUARY Belitsa

A FOUR PAWS cooperation project in Bulgaria since 2000


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Bear Pashuk at BEAR SANCTUARY Prishtina

BEAR SANCTUARY Prishtina

A FOUR PAWS project in Kosovo since 2013


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Bear lula at Al Mawa sanctuary

Al Ma'wa for Nature & Wildlife

A cooperation project between the Princess Alia Foundation and FOUR PAWS in Jordan since 2011


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picture galleries

See our cute bears - happy and pleased in their new homes

Bears Being Goofy

Here you see just how your support has made a difference to our rescued bears!


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Brown bears Amelia and Miemo in the snow

#SaddestBears: FOUR PAWS rescues 24 bears in 7 months

FOUR PAWS has rescued 24 bears in past 7 months alone 


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Rescued moon bear

Asiatic Black Bears in Care of FOUR PAWS

Images of the rescued black bears in our BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh in Vietnam


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Brown bear Mira

Brown Bears in Care of FOUR PAWS

Images of the brown bears in our BEAR SANCTUARIES


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how you can help bears

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