Vienna, 23 July 2025 – On 18 July, 21-year-old brown bear Dunbar arrived at BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach after a 30-hour-transport via plane and road from Azerbaijan to Austria. Recent vet checks by global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS revealed that Dunbar is nearly blind, which made a relocation to a sanctuary that can cater to his special needs necessary. At BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach, the experienced team will provide him with a tailored treatment plan adapted to his visual impairment. The transfer was made possible with the support of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan who transferred the bear in 2020 to a state-run rescue center after he was spotted roaming the streets of a village.

After covering a distance of almost 4,000 km by plane and on the road from Azerbaijan to Austria, Dunbar arrived safely in BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach. After his arrival, he immediately walked out of his transport crate and started exploring the new environment: He ate food prepared by the dedicated team, dug through the natural ground of his adaptation enclosure and rested after his long journey.

Veterinary checks reveal severe visual impairment: Dunbar needs specialised care

During three veterinary missions to Azerbaijan since 2023, FOUR PAWS treated 22 captive bears in Azerbaijan. Dunbar was one of the bears examined, and it was soon clear that he was suffering from severe visual impairment. His right eye showed a severe clouding of the lens and chronic inflammatory processes. Due to the irreversible nature of this condition and the potential pain it could cause, the FOUR PAWS wildlife veterinarians had to remove his right eye along with three broken canine teeth. His left eye only has limited vision due to an injury. Dunbar's extreme visual limitations led to the decision to move him to BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach for further treatment and care.

“Being nearly completely blind can make everyday situations more stressful for Dunbar. Because of this, it is essential for us as a sanctuary to adapt our work to his pace and needs. To understand his character, likes and dislikes, our dedicated caretakers will conduct checks multiple times a day, prepare a variety of enrichments for him to explore and play with, and have regular trust building exercises. All these steps should help Dunbar feel safe and confident in his new environment,” says Daan Beemsterboer, Animal caretaker at BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach.

Since 2023, FOUR PAWS worked closely with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan and other stakeholders and implemented birth control measures for the bears on-site. As the private keeping of bears in Azerbaijan was banned in 2000, this measure now prevents unwanted breeding of the last bears living in captivity in the future.

BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach: Special care facility for older bears and bears with special needs

BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach is one of seven FOUR PAWS bear sanctuaries and cooperation partner projects. With the arrival of Dunbar, five brown bears – Brumca, Erich, Mark and Felix – currently live in Arbesbach on a total of 24,000 square meters. Located in the northern region of Austria known for its vast forests, the sanctuary provides intensive care to elderly bears and those with special needs. It offers space tailored to the needs of each bear to express their natural behaviours, like bathing, digging, roaming, climbing and retiring in caves, either to hide, snooze, or hibernate in the winter.