Upon request of the local NGO Good World Animal Rescue and Protection and with the great support of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan, FOUR PAWS was able to provide help for over 20 bears kept in captivity in Azerbaijan since 2023. FOUR PAWS was invited twice to go to Azerbaijan with a team of experienced wildlife veterinarians to medically treat the animals. We are very grateful that our visits and the good and ongoing collaboration with different stakeholders in Azerbaijan had impact on the welfare of the bears in the country!

During our work in Azerbaijan, we realised that one bear needs special attention: Bear Dunbar. Dunbar was found disorientated roaming the streets of a village in Azerbaijan in 2020. No one knows where he is from, but it seems as if he lived in captivity before. The Ministry was able to capture him and brought him to the state-run rescue facility for bears. Unfortunately, Dunbar had a lot of health issues, which led to the extraction of three canine teeth and the removal of his right eye due to severe cataract and irreversible and painful inflammation.

Although Dunbar is receiving the best possible care at the rescue centre, we and our stakeholders in Azerbaijan know that he needs more attention and medical care over the course of his life. Dunbar needs a quiet place to withdraw, and FOUR PAWS wants to give him this place and rehome Dunbar to its BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach in Austria. Again, with the great help of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan and different other stakeholders, we are preparing for the relocation of bear Dunbar from Azerbaijan to Austria. Read more about his story here.

FOUR PAWS has concluded its cooperation with GWARP after the second veterinary mission to Azerbaijan in March 2024, as the project objective – to implement birth control measures for the captive bears in the country – was achieved. Since March 2024, FOUR PAWS is working with other stakeholders in Azerbaijan.