The Arosa Bear Sanctuary offers a better home to bears that are already in captivity.
Keystone
A bear sanctuary in southeast Switzerland is to become home to two bears from a zoo in North Macedonia.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
The 2.8 hectare Arosa sanctuary works with the Four Paws animal welfare NGO to offer improved conditions for bears that are already in captivity. Two bears are already in residence at the facility that can accommodate five animals.
On Thursday, it was announced that an agreement had been reached with Skopje Zoo to offer a home for two of its four bears – a brother and sister aged 18-years-old.
The Skopje Zoo bear enclosure needs a maintenance overhaul and it was decided it would be better to house only two animals in future.
Arrangements are being made to transport the two bears across several countries and no exact date has been set for their arrival in Switzerland.
Their new home will “provide many new opportunities for the siblings and will allow them to live a bear-friendly life”, said Arosa Bear Foundation president Pascal Jenny. “Bears need a lot of space and the opportunity to bathe, climb and hibernate.”
The Arosa Bear Sanctuary has attracted 240,000 visitors since it started operating in August 2018.
Its two current residents are called Meimo and Amelia. Two other bears that were once housed at the sanctuary have since died.
Popular Stories
More
Aging society
No house generation: the impossibility of buying property in Switzerland
Living longer: What do you think about the longevity trend?
The longevity market is booming thanks in part to advances in the science of ageing. What do you think of the idea of significantly extending human lifespan?
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
This content was published on
The Swiss are increasingly questioning traditional gender roles. Acceptance of same-sex parents has risen by 25 percentage points within ten years.
Swiss researchers develop living material from fungi
This content was published on
A Swiss research team has developed a new type of material from fungi. This could be used to create compostable films, moisture sensors or edible additives for food and cosmetics, they say.
This content was published on
The Gotthard Pass is to be re-opened to through traffic on Friday at 11am. A partial re-opening is also planned for the Susten Pass.
Work atmosphere more important than salary, say Swiss
This content was published on
For Swiss employees, the atmosphere at work is more important than the salary, according to a study. However, priorities differ greatly between the generations.
This content was published on
Fridays are the preferred day for babies to be born in Switzerland, according to a report by the Federal Statistical Office.
This content was published on
Several people reported seeing the bear on Sunday afternoon in Zernez on the border of the Swiss National Park in eastern Switzerland, but said it ran off as soon as it noticed them. Georg Brosi from the cantonal office for hunting and fishing said the bear, whose traces in the snow indicate that it is…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.