Help for Bears in Slovenia
FOUR PAWS aims to expedite an end to the private keeping of bears in Slovenia
Since 2004, it is forbidden for private persons in Slovenia to keep bears that were taken from the wild. People who owned bears before 2004 that could not be reintroduced into the wild, could get approval from the Ministry to keep them. That is why even today, years after the introduction of the legislation, bears are still kept in inappropriate captivity in private hands.
In line with our goal to end the illegal and inappropriate keeping of brown bears in Southeast Europe, in 2022 FOUR PAWS assessed the living conditions of the remaining privately kept bears in Slovenia. These were our findings: All bears were being kept in conditions which do not meet the needs of the bears. They showed stereotypical behaviour, which is caused by boredom and stress; and had few possibilities if any to hide from visitors. The bears had very limited access to enrichment to encourage their natural behaviours, keep them occupied, and stimulate their playfulness and curiosity. We doubt that they received professional medical care.
The private keeping of bears in Slovenia is close to an end
In 2024 FOUR PAWS started a public campaign addressed to the Slovenian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Food and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning. We informed the relevant authorities that we could house the bears in our sanctuaries if they can convince the owners to give them up voluntarily or if they confiscate the bears. After a long period of inactivity and the passing of two of the bears – Mascha and Mitko – the authorities finally took action and convinced Felix's owner and now also Mici’s' owner to hand over their bears to us. We are now closer than ever to ending the private captivity of bears in Slovenia! Only bear Tim is still waiting for his rescue and we hope that his owner will follow the example of the other owners and give Tim the chance for a species-appropriate life. If the owner does not agree to voluntarily surrender Tim, he will still have to give him up within a few months at the latest. This is due to a list, which is currently being drafted by the responsible Ministry, which includes a record of animal species that may be kept and traded by private individuals in Slovenia. As bears and big cats will not be included in this list, the private keeping of these animals outside of licensed zoos and sanctuaries will be prohibited, thus making Tim's ownership illegal.
These Bears Deserve Species-Appropriate Living Conditions
Felix has been rescued
Soon to be rescued
Died without having the chance to be rescued
Died without having the chance to be rescued
Still kept in poor captivity and waiting for his rescue
Timeline of FOUR PAWS activities
August 2025
On 20 August 2025, the amended Animal Welfare Act came into force, prohibiting the keeping of wild animals outside of licensed zoos and sanctuaries that are not included in the positive list. The positive list has not yet been published but will not include dangerous wild animals. After publication of the positive list, owners of bears, big cats and other wild animal species in Slovenia will have six months to hand over the animals to licensed zoos or rescue centres, otherwise they will be confiscated by the competent authorities.
May
We are extremely pleased to announce that Bear Felix was successfully transported to his new forever home at BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach in Lower Austria. During the eight-hour drive to Austria, he was closely monitored by an experienced team, which included a wildlife veterinarian from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna. Find out more about the journey here.
April
Felix was visually checked by one of our wildlife veterinarians and was found fit for a transfer! The planned rescue of bear Felix is a major milestone for the Slovenian bears suffering in private keeping and an important victory for animal welfare. Learn more about Felix's story.
December
Our protest has resulted in the Ministry ordering inspections, imposing sanctions on the bear owners to improve the conditions for the animals, and also persuading the bear owners to voluntarily surrender their bears to FOUR PAWS. In the case of bear Felix, the authorities were successful and the owner agreed to voluntarily hand Felix over to FOUR PAWS. We will do everything in our power to provide Felix with a bear-worthy life and special care in BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach. However, given his advanced age of 34 years, a thorough veterinary examination in spring 2025 will need to determine first, if his health allows for a relocation.
September
Another bear has died from the negligence of the authorities and the bear owners in Slovenia.
Mitko was euthanised 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. Sadly, Mitko died before he could ever experience a bear-worthy life.
March
Although the responsible authorities received veterinary reports from FOUR PAWS that prove that the bears suffer and need help, they have not undertaken any action to help the bears. In March, FOUR PAWS launched a campaign to put public pressure on the responsible authorities to finally take legal action towards confiscation of the bears.
February
In February 2024, FOUR PAWS was informed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning that bear Felix has died and that his companion, bear Mascha, is still alive. This information was later rectified by the authorities in 2024, confirming that Felix was still alive and Mascha was the bear that had passed away. We cannot say why the mix-up occurred, but it shows that the authorities are still not paying enough attention to the bears held in captivity in Slovenia.
September
FOUR PAWS approaches representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning to address the welfare problems of the last five privately kept bears again. Additionally, FOUR PAWS renews its offer to support improvements for the bears and placement of the bears in FOUR PAWS sanctuaries. There the bears can finally get the chance to get species-appropriate care for the rest of their lives.
July
The ongoing exchange and joint assessment with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food have unfortunately still not led to any improvements for the bears. The Ministry seems to have let go of their initial motivation to help the bears and instead refers FOUR PAWS to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning. Unfortunately, previous attempts to involve representatives of this Ministry in the assessment have not led to any response.
June
A veterinary report from the joint assessment was shared with the authorities. For all bears the recommendation by the wildlife veterinarian is similar: The bears live in inappropriate conditions, lack proper care and show physical damage and psychological behaviour disorders. They should be translocated as soon as possible to species-appropriate facilities. Quote from a report on bear Mici: “In summary, I would highly recommend translocating the animal to an adequate, species-appropriate keeping facility to prevent further physical and psychological damage for animal welfare reasons.”
May
Joint assessment visit of the five bears with an experienced wildlife veterinarian and representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food. All participants of the assessment visit confirm the previous conclusion that the bears should be relocated to a species-appropriate facility that meets the needs of the bears.
October 2022
After constructive conversations with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, the authorities agreed on a joint visit to assess the living and keeping conditions of the bears, together with an experienced wildlife veterinarian. Based on this assessment, written recommendations were planned to be provided by the wildlife veterinarian for each individual bear with the goal to improve their welfare.
August
FOUR PAWS conducted an assessment of the living and keeping conditions of the five last remaining bears in private captivity in Slovenia and found out that the animals are kept in inappropriate conditions. As a next step, FOUR PAWS approached the Slovenian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, which is responsible for the welfare of captive bears in Slovenia. FOUR PAWS offered to work on a phase-out plan together with the Ministry to expedite an end to the private keeping of bears in Slovenia.
