TIRANA: Brown bear Mark is on his way to a better life in an Austrian sanctuary after spending more than 20 years in a cage at an Albanian restaurant for diners to observe.He and his sister Liza have spent his entire life interacting with guests at Tirana’s Sofra e Ariut (Bear’s Table) restaurant.
However, on Wednesday, with the help of the Four Paws animal welfare organisation, he began travelling to the Aberbasch refuge in northern Austria while heavily sedated.Two years ago, she passed away.
As per Sajmir Shehu, the Albanian project manager for Four Paws, they were kept in a cage there that was around 100 square metres (1,075 square feet) in size, had a concrete floor, and was in terrible condition and fed improperly.The bears were never permitted to hibernate because they were always in the open and subject to harsh weather, according to Four Paws.
Mark is currently overweight and finds it tough to move about at 250 kilos (550 pounds). His anxiety disorders, which have caused him to become hostile and snarl at the least noise, were brought on by boredom and tension.
The death of Liza in 2020 only made his condition worse.For two or three months, Mark couldn’t stop sobbing, according to Hiqmet Murati, bears’ 20-year caretaker. Even though their owners permitted the couple to mate, none of the cubs lived because their frazzled parents bit them to death, the speaker continued.
The bear needs immediate care to survive because of his mistreatment, according to Shehu. The Four Paws experts claimed that due to his bad diet and 20 years in a cage, he has issues with his joints, muscles, eyes, and internal organs.
