PHOTOS: 3 Bears Continue to Suffer at Sisian's Resort MJA – Daily Mail

The FPWC reports that the international media has again focused on the issue of brown bears kept in captivity in the Republic of Armenia. This time, the British newspaper Daily Mail wrote about three brown bears (Ursus arctos) being confined under poor conditions at the 'Resort MJA' located in the village of Hatzavan, near Sisian in Syunik Province.

The Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Values (FPWC) regularly receives alerts regarding bezoar goats (Capra aegagrus) and brown bears imprisoned in the complex. Among the bears, there is one female and two males. They are held in small, concrete-floored cages without the necessary spacious enclosures. The conditions are unfavorable for the species and are entirely unsuitable to the animals' natural habitat.

The director of the complex noted that the female bear regularly gives birth to cubs, which are released into the nearby forest. It is a well-known fact that animals born in captivity are unable to survive independently in the wild or may approach human settlements, posing significant risks.

The bears are fed with food scraps generated in the complex, which does not comply with their natural diet. One of the males has severely damaged teeth, likely a consequence of an improper diet and stress from chewing the bars of their cages. All three animals exhibit stereotypic behavior, indicating improper housing conditions.

The area also hosts hunting, which negatively affects the animals' natural existence, as the sounds of gunfire serve as an additional source of stress for the bears.

According to the complex's responsible representative, the bears were 'rescued from the river,' indicating that they were taken from the wild, which constitutes a violation of the Law on Wildlife in Armenia. The representative also mentioned that there is no authorization from the appropriate authority for keeping wild animals in captivity or semi-captivity.

The FPWC, in collaboration with its partner organization International Animal Rescue (IAR), is prepared to accept these three bears into a new shelter with better conditions as part of the Bear Rescue Program, providing them with proper professional care. However, the management of 'Resort MJA' has declined this offer.