Animal rescue stories renew our confidence in humans! No animal deserves to live in captivity or under the care of irresponsible people who make their lives a living misery.
Misha and Dasha are two charming bears who spent ten years imprisoned beside a restaurant on a riverbank in Armenia.
its cage was small, just large enough for animals of its sort. They spent their days pacing back and forth, leaving no place for anything else. The saddest thing was that the cage was frequently flooded.
Desperate to break out of the cage, they would frequently bash their heads on the metal bars while tourists enjoying their meal looked on and did nothing.
The wretched creatures served as tourist attractions, despite living in misery and desperation.
When the river levels rose, they nearly swamped their small prison. Misha and Dasha strained to keep afloat, barely surviving.
“A few years back, the river flooded, and the bears almost drowned,” said Lis Key, International Animal Rescue’s (IAR) public relations and communications manager. “The rescue team had to cut through the cages to release them, so they must have been trapped when the river flooded and in serious danger of drowning.”
IAR campaigned for a long time to rescue the bears, but they were unable to do so because the restaurant’s owner refused to release them. They eventually attempted to persuade him to release them with the help of the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC).
After years of violence and neglect, Misha and Dasha were finally taken to a peaceful sanctuary in the highlands. They may roam freely and enjoy the beauty of freedom.
As winter neared, the two bears nestled into a cave to hibernate, and April brought something extraordinary.
Dasha gave birth to two cubs.
When she was rescued, the rescuers had no idea she was carrying babies.
“After being rescued, she received all essential care, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and honey to develop weight and fat before hibernation. But no one suspected her strong appetite was due to pregnancy,” Vicky Mkrtchyan, FPWC’s environmental programs coordinator, said.
These two bears put their misery behind them and began a fresh life, which they had always earned.
The bear family of four is currently thriving and enjoying life in their natural surroundings.
