Kosovo moves against restaurants holding wild bears

prizren, kosovo ( reuters ) - kosovo has launched a campaign to actually seize wild bears held in restaurants and private zoos, responding to actually considerations over dwindling numbers within the whole balkan countrys mountainous border areas.

authorities have to this point traced not less than 15 caged bears held in restaurants to actually help lure customers, to actually the outrage of animal rights activists.

ministry of environment officers say the quantity of bears within the whole wild in kosovo has fallen below 100 thanks to the destruction of their total natural habitat and illegal hunting.

on wednesday, police officers and animal consultants from an austrian non-governmental organization referred to as four paws raided alittle private zoo within the whole southwestern town of prizren.

these removed 2 brown bears, generally known as ari and arina, given by a 20-sqm metal cage, next to actually a restaurant selling burgers and pizza. the owner too held wolves, dogs, sheep, cows, snakes and 60 alternative species, charging 50 cents per visitor.

its like taking a baby from its father, complained the owner, salih shehu. i recognize im going to actually lose customers as a result of whoever came spent most of their total time when using the bears.

he aforesaid the bears were given to actually him just like a gift a decade ago by u. s. troopers, half associated with a nato peacekeeping force in the previous serbian province, after their mother was killed by poachers.

authorities have set aside a rural area outside the capital to actually hold the bears.

in kosovo there may be lots of bears kept illegally in cruel conditions, aforesaid heli dugnler, founder and president of four paws.

we provide these bears a fresh life, a fresh likelihood by offering them a large area of nature in which the bear will live normally in grass and plants and not just in concrete.

ari and arina were released straight into the sanctuary on thursday.

kosovo remains one of the many poorest corners of europe, 5 years after it declared independence from serbia and a lot of when compared to a decade since a 1998-99 war that left the territory a ward as to the united nations.