Animal Stories Across the World: The Bear Sanctuary in Belitsa, Bulgaria

Exclusive Interview with Kalina Valchinkova – Chief Animal Caretaker
By Karen Beishuizen
Photos courtesy of Four Paws

Dancing Bear Park Belitsa (now Bear Sanctuary Belitsa) was established by Four Paws and Foundation Brigitte Bardot in the early 2000’s, as a permanent location for housing former dancing bears that were rescued by Four Paws. They currently have a permanent home for 17 bears, with their age ranging from 7 years to 33 (oldest resident is the bear Svetla). More than half of the animals are former dancing bears from Bulgaria, as well as some from Serbia and Albania. The sanctuary is open to the public in the months between April and December. Bears are highly intelligent creatures that can endure so much trauma and still persevere. If you are in Bulgaria, go visit The Bear Sanctuary in Belitsa!

KB: Describe to the RSR readers how The Bear Sanctuary was founded and by who?

Dancing Bear Park Belitsa (now Bear Sanctuary Belitsa) was established by Four Paws and Foundation Brigitte Bardot in the early 2000’s, as a permanent location for housing former dancing bears that were rescued by Four Paws.

KB: How many bears are there and what are their age?

Currently we are a permanent home for 17 bears, with their age ranging from 7 years to 33 (our oldest resident is the bear Svetla).

KB: Where are the bears coming from?

More than half of our animals were former dancing bears from Bulgaria, as well as some from Serbia and Albania. In addition to them, bears from other various forms of poor captivity have also found a lifelong home here.

KB: How is Brigitte Bardot involved?

Created in 1986 and officially recognized as an organization in the public interest in 1992, the aim of Foundation Brigitte Bardot is to promote and organize defense and protection for domestic and wild animals. Bear Sanctuary Belitsa is a cooperation project between the Foundation Brigitte Bardot and Four Paws

KB: Describe to the RSR readers what daily work at The Bear Sanctuary looks like?

Based on the season, the daily work depends. The usual is the feeding and the cleaning. Additionally, the bears have an enrichment program – enrichment is the process of hiding food, putting different smells, and providing objects for manipulation. This allows our animals to express their natural behaviors of foraging for food, turning logs and rocks and leaving their scent to mark a territory. All of them haven’t had the opportunity to “act like a wild bear” in the past, so we strive to give them as many chances to express those wild behaviors. In spring for example, they have medical examinations, while in autumn they are being provided with additional hay straw to help them in the preparation of the winter dens.

KB: Is the sanctuary open for public?

Yes, the sanctuary is open to the public in the months between April and December. For the winter months it is closed due to the bear’s hibernation. Our tours run every half hour and take between 30–40 minutes on average. The first tour starts when the sanctuary opens, at 10:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m., depending on the season. A guide will always be on-site during the tours, to give information about the bears, the sanctuary, and our mission. The tours are run in Bulgarian and English. To have the best experience at the sanctuary, we recommend planning to spend around an hour and a half.

KB: Are the bears living a happy life at your sanctuary and how do you know?

They live a life free of suffering. The bears have access to food, clean water, shelter, and medical care. Our bears have twice as long lifespan as their wild counterparts (bears in the wild usually live up to 20 years, and our oldest bear passed away at the approximate age of 43), hibernate between four and six months in a year and showed significantly reduced psychological problems. Their condition is being monitored 24/7 and we strive to provide the best possible care for them.

KB: Can people volunteer to help in the sanctuary?

Yes, people can apply to be volunteers at the sanctuary.

KB: What is so special about bears?

All living things are special! Bears are highly intelligent creatures that can endure so much trauma and still persevere. Despite their horrible past, our bears still manage to trust their caretakers with medical procedures, day-to-day care, and general presence. They are also very special animals and have such an important place in the ecosystem, that by protecting only them, people protect all living creatures in that area.

Check out The Bear Sanctuary’s website: HERE

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