FREEDOM FOR MARK: Albania’s last ‘restaurant bear’ rescued after being kept in tiny cage for 20 years
TIRANA, ALBANIA: Albania's last 'restaurant bear' finally arrived at his new home in a wildlife sanctuary after spending 20 saddening years of his life in a tiny cage, where he slept on a concrete floor and nibbled only at a pile of bread and lettuce.
Mark, a 24-year-old brown bear, is the last of the so-called "restaurant bears", which have historically been kept in tiny cages near restaurants or hotels as an attraction for tourists in Tirana, Albania. Exposed to the looks of visitors, Mark spent his days locked up in a tiny cage next to a restaurant in Albania's capital. But his sad days came to an end on December 7, 2022, when Four Paws, an animal welfare group, rescued him after decades-long captivity.
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Mark traveled through North Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary before finally reaching his new home at “BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach” in Austria on Friday, December 9. At the wildlife sanctuary, Mark will finally get chances to explore his natural snowy habitat with appropriate food and the opportunity to continue his hibernation cycle.
