BEAR PARK Muritz: Two bears saved from illegal keeping in Poland
Female bears Kasia and Basia have been transferred to German FOUR PAWS sanctuary BEAR PARK Muritz. The animals had been kept without a licence and under unsuitable conditions in a zoo in Poland. After researchers found no animal friendly keeping alternative for the two afflicted bears within Poland, the decision was made to transfer them across the border into East German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The FOUR PAWS bear refuge in Muritz had reopened to the public earlier this year, after extension works had doubled the available space and made it possible to take in new arrivals. 
During the five hour drive, the animals were in the care of Dr. Goeritz, a wild animal veterinarian of the Berlin Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research, as well as an experienced FOUR PAWS team. Kasia and Basia endured the journey without problems and no signs of stress. Just before departure, blood and scat samples were taken in order to get an accurate picture of the brown bears’ health. The upcoming therapy measures will be selected upon these results. The females – aged 15 and 27 – were kept at a zoo in Leszno, Western Poland, in an concrete and iron environment of only 60 square metres, offering no opportunity for retreat. Their health was massively impaired by the very low hygienic standards and constant malnutrition, which mainly consisted of sugar-containing white bread. In 2009, another bear had already died as a direct result of the bad keeping conditions.
 Time to settle in at the nature resort
At BEAR PARK Muritz the two animals were first released into an area in which they can be easily monitored. The team on site is confident that the animals will get used to their new surroundings very quickly and profit from the outstanding conditions there. Along with Kasia and Basia, there are now thirteen bears in the subnatural outdoor enclosure at Plauer See.
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