Animal welfare group FOUR PAWS has criticized the “shocking” death of a bear who was kept in “cruel conditions” in a private zoo in Slovenia.
The international organization said it had been lobbying for better living conditions, proper veterinary care and a relocation of five captive bears in Slovenia for years. Only three are still alive, the group said.
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.
“We are both heartbroken and shocked to hear of Mitko’s death after we spent two years and tireless efforts to get him the specialized medical care he needed and bring him to a species-appropriate home. Now, another bear has died from the negligence of the authorities and the bear owners in Slovenia,” a statement said.
Sadly, Mitko died before he could ever experience a bear-worthy life.
“We demand that the responsible Ministry for Natural Resources and Spatial Planning takes urgent and decisive action regarding the conditions in which the captive bears are kept. We hold the Ministry and their lack of action accountable for the tragic death of bears Mitko and Felix, and demand immediate solutions for the remaining bears – Maša, Mici, and Tim,” FOUR PAWS said.
The animals “continue to live in cruel, substandard conditions and need specialized veterinary care. If no concrete action is taken to relocate them soon, they will share Mitko’s sad fate and die painfully in their small cages,” said Patricia Tiplea, who leads the Wild Animals Rescue & Advocacy team at FOUR PAWS.
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