At the end of March, a bear cub was delivered to the animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS in Pristina, Kosovo. The cub had been caught in Albania and put up for sale online. A scandal showing that wildlife trafficking has not been completely curbed yet in the region and that effective structures for bear emergencies are urgently needed.
As sweet as the sight is, the bear cub has had a traumatic time. It is being nursed back to health at the bear centre in Pristina.
© FOUR PAWSA case of wildlife crime is making headlines in Kosovo and Albania as well as keeping EuroNatur and its bear conservation partners in the Balkans busy. A young brown bear had been caught in Albania in its natural habitat. Its mother will most likely have been killed to enable the capture. The little bear was put up for sale. Because of inadequate administrative procedures and by a circuitous route, the bear cub finally found its way into the FOUR PAWS rescue centre in neighbouring Kosovo.
There, the cub is doing as well as can be under the circumstances. It is fed several times a day with a special milk by the committed animal attendants, cleaned and provided social care normally supplied by its mother. A balancing act, because the young animal shall not get too used to humans. The decision about its future rests with the Albanian and Kosovar authorities.
“This is a really sad case of wildlife crime, because every additional day the bear cub spends in human care makes it more difficult to return it to the wild, the top priority from a nature conservation point of view,” says Antje Henkelmann, project manager at EuroNatur. “The incident also highlights the importance of implementing bear intervention teams in all Balkans countries. The population needs to be educated and know-how available of what to do in case of a bear emergency. Experts have to be involved right from the start to ensure an appropriate treatment of the animals. This also requires political support from the governments in the region,” according to the bear expert.