Posted on September, 10 2016

The only bear cub orphanage in Europe is at risk of closing down for lack of funds. WWF-Romania launches a crowdfunding campaign to save the orphanage.

Every year, dozens of bear cubs remain orphans in the forests of Romania. The Bear Orphanage raises cubs in a natural way, with a minimum of human intervention, and after 2 years the bears get to roam free in the forest. Working already for 10 years, the orphanage has  successfully rescued over 100 bear cubs, but today is at risk of closing due to lack of funding. To continue the work of the orphanage, WWF-Romania has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the Bear Orphanage. The orphanage is unique of its kind in Europe.

“Be a hero for a cub” crowdfunding campaign aims to provide food and shelter for bear cubs month by month. Annually, 10 bears can be saved by the Bear Orphanage, if there is enough financial support. The center now has a 20 hectares area and houses 10 orphan bears. However, the goal of Leo Bereczky - founder of the orphanage, is to also invest in research and improve the facilities, especially since he estimates that the number of orphan bears will most likely double in the next 10 years.

How much is needed to feed a bear?

The total costs for one bear cub is estimated to be $6,000 annually, of which about $4,000 goes for food. Anyone can support the orphanage center with as little as $5 per month, which is enough to feed a bear cub for a day. The campaign starts as of 7th of September and will continue until 15th of October 2016.

The total donations needed for the 10 bear cubs currently living in the center is $10,000 per month. This amount will cover food, shelter, safety, veterinary care, and the work of three specialists who take care of the bears. In addition, the collected money will go also for development of the orphanage so that more orphan bears can find their way to the orphanage, and then be reintegrated into the wild.  

Rehabilitation Approach of the Center

"The bear is an exceptional animal in its complexity - extraordinary physical and survival abilities, adaptation and instincts. For instance, they have an instinct to escape from danger or to hide in the trees when something endangers them; they also know from birth what to eat. All survival instincts are genetically encoded. This is crucial and makes it possible to grow bear cubs without the presence of the mother, in a natural way,  so these bears can become genuine representatives of their species", explains the founder Leo Berczky.

Since the establishment of the Bear Orphanage  over 100 brown bears were rescued. The basic principle of the orphanage is minimal human interaction, but continuous monitoring of the bears performed by an expert.

The  rehabilitation approach of the bear orphanage is designed and developed to imitate the wild nature. Bear cubs are located in shelters offering entirely natural environment. The size of the houses starts from a small one where the cubs can socialize with each other, they can learn together and form a group of the same generation. Afterwards they are placed to larger houses depending on their natural needs.

The food of the bears is placed in different areas of the shelters so that the cubs can have similar experience as in the nature. Also, some food types occasionally disappear in certain periods or are abundant in others just as they would be in the nature. Besides the food and protection, the orphan bear cubs receive a safe environment and veterinary care. Once they leave the orphanage, they are monitored by scientists who track their evolution as animals reintroduced into the wild.

Why do brown bears matter?

Nearly 40% of the bear population across the continent, lives in Romania, given that Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany and Belgium have no bears in the wild. The brown bear is a strictly protected species at national and European level, through the Habitats Directive (Natura 2000), but the high value of  bear trophies - between 4,000-15,000 Euro per specimen, keep the population of brown bears in the official national censuses unrealistically high, as it was recently reported.

Given their dependence on large natural areas, brown bears are important management indicators for a number of other wildlife species. They also play important roles as predators who keep other animal populations in check, and also act as seed dispersers, helping to sustain their own environment.

Become a hero for a bear cub:  wwf.ro/orfelinat
More info: https://www.patreon.com/posts/wwf-starts-for-6724158