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Bears saved from 'years of unimaginable suffering'

Josh McLaughlin
BBC News, South East
FPWC and International Animal Rescue A Syrian brown bear looks over its shoulder as it stares out of an enclosure bedded with straw. International Animal Rescue say it has just arrived at a rescue centre in Urtsadzor, Armenia.FPWC and International Animal Rescue
The bears were kept in smelly ramshackle cages, fed cola and forced to breed, according to rescuers International Animal Rescue

Three bears have been rescued from the backyard of a residential home in Yerevan, Armenia, with the help of a Sussex-based charity.

The Syrian brown bears - Aram, Nairi and their daughter, Lola - were limited to "filthy cages" and denied "basic care", the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) found during an investigation.

International Animal Rescue (IAR), based in Uckfield, told BBC South East that their joint rescue with FPWC on 20 March took over 12 hours.

The rescuers from IAR said the "stench" and "filth" was "horrific" and followed "years of unimaginable cruelty".

FPWC and International Animal Rescue A torch spotlight shines on two Syrian brown bears at the back of a dark and damp looking area. The torch emits a white light through the silhouetted wiring of a cage. One bear on the left is standing on its hind legs in front of a grey wall. A bear on the right stares straight into the light of the torch. The ground is covered in mud and dirt.FPWC and International Animal Rescue
IAR say that during the rescue, the family of bears were sedated separately and moved from their "filthy" cages in crates by a crane

"The sheer cruelty of locking these animals up in tiny cages and feeding them cola, it was absolutely horrific," said Alan Knight, president of IAR.

Rescuers say the male bear (Aram) was held captive for 12 years and repeatedly bred with a female bear (Nairi) taken from the wild.

Their daughter, Lola, was discovered with them, while previous cubs had been taken and sold, according to IAR.

Mr Knight said: "These were some of the worst conditions I have ever seen."

IAR described the rescue as their "most difficult one to date".

FPWC and International Animal Rescue A Syrian brown bear looks through the bars of a metal cage in a garden.FPWC and International Animal Rescue
Aram, the male bear, has broken teeth and infected gums, according to IAR

The rescue team say they were initially refused entry to the property by the bears' owner, despite having a legal order.

After a drawn out standoff, rescuers say they finally gained access at night-fall and worked to sedate and transport the bears "under heavy rain and darkness" using torches.

IAR told BBC South East that the three bears are now under supervised quarantine and receiving urgent veterinary care at FPWC's wildlife rescue centre in Urtsadzor, Armenia.

An appeal has been launched by IAR to fund their ongoing care and to help complete a new sanctuary where the bears can live.

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