The Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body of the Republic of Armenia continues to monitor the conditions and legal grounds for keeping wild animals in captivity, aiming to protect biodiversity and ensure animal welfare. As part of this effort, on October 6, staff of the inspection body and the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets removed two brown bears from the animal enclosure area of the “Hrashq Ayg” restaurant complex in the Ararat region.

The seizure was based on the absence of the required permit. The animals were transported to the Foundation’s Urtsadzor Wildlife Rescue Center, where they will undergo medical examination and be placed under professional care.

The inspection body reminds the public that keeping wild animals in captive or semi-captive conditions is permitted only when the relevant permits have been issued by the authorized body.

Cases like this point to a long-standing problem of wild animals being kept at restaurants and entertainment venues: brown bears, which need vast territories in the wild, are often held for years in cramped cages, without proper feeding, veterinary oversight, or the chance to express natural behavior. Transfer to a rescue center is not only a lawful measure but also a first step toward these animals’ recovery.

Source: 
https://www.ecoinspect.am/hy/post/more/1333