Prishtina/Vienna, 10 July 2025 — Illegal wildlife trade is still raging in Eastern Europe, as the story of bear Dori once more shows. The male bear cub was merely a few weeks old, when found by an Albanian animal activist in an online advert, offered for €5,000. After his confiscation in Albania on March 21, he was brought to BEAR SANCTUARY Prishtina in Kosovo, operated by the global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS. The specialised team took the orphaned and distressed cub in temporarily and is offering to provide a forever home for the little brown bear.

As Dori will need lifelong, species appropriate care, FOUR PAWS has already offered a permanent placement for Dori at its sanctuary to the relevant authorities. Unfortunately, a reintroduction to the wild is in Dori’s case no longer possible, as too much time has passed, according to bear rehabilitation experts.

At the beginning, Dori was surrogated and nursed every three hours with special formula milk due to his young age. He has grown into a sturdy four-month-old of 22 kilos and his favourite food are boiled eggs, apples and carrots.

FOUR PAWS warns against 'rescuing' orphaned cubs

The person, who offered Dori online, claimed to allegedly have found him orphaned in the wild in Librazhd municipality, east of Tirana. FOUR PAWS strongly warns against taking matters into one’s own hands, when encountering bear cubs or other wild baby animals, that seem to be abandoned. Instead, local authorities and wildlife experts should be alerted to handle the situation in a safe, legal way that is in the best interest of the animal.

About BEAR SANCTUARY Prishtina

BEAR SANCTUARY Prishtina, just 20 km from the capital, currently offers a home to 19 rescued bears in a 16-hectare forest. Since 2013, it has provided a safe and species-appropriate home for rescued brown bears, formerly kept in captivity in Kosovo and Albania. Managed by the global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS, the sanctuary has become a top destination for both locals and tourists. Visitors can explore nature trails, observe the bears in their natural surroundings, and learn about animal welfare and each bear’s unique story.