On July 21, RA Deputy Minister of Nature Protection Khachik Hakobyan paid a working visit to the Wildlife Rescue Center (WRC).

The Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) along with the International Animal Rescue has launched “80 BEARS” triennial campaign. The mission is to save 80 Red Listed Brown bears living in deplorable conditions in illegal captivity in Armenia.

“We want to engage in bear rescue activities, because it is really necessary. We should work to engage the government in it as well,” says Alan Knight, the Executive Director of the International Animal Rescue.

Khachik Hakobyan, the Deputy Minister of Nature Protection of Armenia informed that amendments are planned in the fauna legislation of Armenia.

“We will get opportunity to move animals kept in sad, insufficient conditions to other appropriate places, in case of their confiscation. The new bill of law envisages financial issues as well, so that we are able to cover the financial costs”.

The law will demand new and strict terms for those who like to keep brown bears.

“It will make impossible to merely keep the wild animals at home or in own entertainment place to satisfy one`s whim. One can have very nice conditions, get permission, license (to keep the animal), but in a short time get bankrupt or refuse to keep the animal”, added the deputy minister of Nature Protection of the RA.

Khachik Hakobyan got acquainted with the construction of the bear rehabilitation station of the Wildlife Rescue Center and a meeting took place with the representer of the International Animal Rescue.

The bears have been taken from the wild and kept in tiny, filthy cages in private facilities including restaurants, hotels, gas stations, roadside zoos and even cement factories. They have been used as a money-making attraction or for breeding. In some restaurants, bear meat is recommended as a “delicacy”.

The mission of the “80 BEARS” is to raise the awareness of this issue, to save the illegally captive bears of Armenia and extirpate the shameful phenomenon from the Armenian reality.

FPWC’s General Partner VivaCell-MTS has also announced its long-term support of the construction of the Wildlife Rescue Center (WRC).

The mission of the International Animal Rescue is to rescue the animals found at the crossroads of human-wildlife conflicts around the world. More than 800 trained dancing bears were rescued and cared for in India. The current main project in Indonesia is to rescue the Bornean orangutans, Lories and other primates from captivity. Whenever possible, the rescued animals are returned to freedom in their natural environment. For animals that cannot survive in the wild, a comfortable permanent shelter is provided.