Laska lived for years in unacceptable conditions in the run-down Pokrovsk Zoo near the town of Donetsk. Previously she was kept as a baiting bear and abused to train hunting dogs. FOUR PAWS had intended to bring the approximately five-year-old bear to her new home by the end of 2018. However, lengthy procedures on the part of authorities in connection with her confiscation delayed her rescue until early 2019. Finally, after more than 1,000 kilometres and 22 hours of travel, Laska arrived safely at her new home on the February 28, 2019.

Update May 2019: Until now, it hasn’t been clear whether Laska would be allowed to stay with us at BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr for the rest of her life. This week, a Ukrainian court decided that Laska and the other rescued animals from Pokrovsk zoo must not go back to their former keeper! We are very relieved and happy, since Laska is already settling in well. 

FOUR PAWS has constructed a bear sanctuary near the Ukrainian city of Lviv. BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr currently covers 7.7 hectares and provides a species-appropriate home to bears rescued from deplorable keeping conditions. Over the next few years, the sanctuary will be extended to cover twenty hectares, with space to accommodate thirty long-suffering bears. By constructing BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr, FOUR PAWS has created a sustainable home for rescued bears, and is thus assisting the Ukrainian government in its efforts to implement the ban on keeping bears for bear-baiting.