September 2016 – SAD NEWS: BALU IS DISAPPEARED!

After months of appeals and campaining, the bear trapped in a cage in the restaurant Kodra e Kuajve in Durres, is disappeared as you can see from the empty cage.

Balu (known as well as Poku) was a 4 years old bear, male. He was sold from a poacher to the owner of the restaurant and now, after months of actions he’s been moved.

It is the sad destiny of many bears in captivity. When the media pressure become to high the bears often disappear.

It’s essential to keep high the international pressure on the restaurant and on the Government, OIPA will keep searching for Balu.

OIPA will keep asking to the owner of the restaurant what is happened to the animal.

BROWN BEARS IN ALBANIA

The bear populations in Albania and in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are of significant biological and genetic value, because they form the connecting populations between the brown bear populations in Croatia and Slovenia in the North and the endangered brown bear population of Greece. Data on the numbers and distribution of these populations are therefore of paramount importance for the conservation of the bear population in South-East Europe.

In Albania, the current estimation of the bear population is about 250 individuals; the species has been steadily declining in the last 20 years, and the current population size estimate is the lowest ever. The species is legally protected in Albania, however, there is no management plan or are implementing a national strategy for the conservation of the species, and bear populations in both countries are not being systematically monitored. Consequently, there is a serious lack of information on their general status and distribution, and the population numbers mentioned above are merely educated assumptions.

Many bears are still kept by Albanian citizens in private houses, restaurants and tourist locations.

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After months the situation of Balu is not changed. The owner of the restaurant doesn’t recognize that the bear is in danger.

The animal has never been visited by a Vet and he is fed with sweets and other improper food gave by the tourist. His psychic and physics health conditions should be checked and he needs proper food.

Even a little improvement of the cage of the bear would be good for his wellness.

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After the segnalation of a tourist travelling in Albany we discovered that the restaurant Kodra e Kuajve, in Durres (Albany), is using a bear as tourist attraction.

Our volunteers did then a little investigation to find out how was the animal and as you can see in our previous article the bear  shows clear signs of discomfort. Read more here: https://www.oipainternational.org/balu-bear-albania-oipa/

We tried to get in touch with the owner of the restaurant and find a way to dialogue with him in order to improve the conditions of the animal and then move the bear to a sanctuary, but since it was not possible to start a dialogue we decided to take action and start an appeal.

The restaurant is infact registered on trip advisor and there are several pictures showing the bear trapped. 

OIPA International CALL TO ACTION: help Balu, the bear abused and trapped in the restaurant.

LEAVE A COMMENT ON TRIP ADVISOR EXPRESSING YOUR DISPLEASURE FOR THIS ANIMAL MISTREATMENT

“Hereby to express my deepest indignation for the mistreatment to which Balu is condemned to live. Bears are wonderful animals, and they need to live freely. Confine them in little cages to be shown to clients is an horrific and irresponsible behaviour, that does not consider the importance of this endangered animals’ lives. Due to the fact that bears in Albania are legally protected species, I hope an investigation will be started, to punish the responsible, if he does not immediately release the bear. Personally, I will not eat in that restaurant, and I will ask all my acquaintances to do the same, until this situation will be solved.”

SEND A LETTER OF PROTEST!

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L'articolo ACTION CALL: BALU, THE BEAR USED AS TOURIST ATTRACTION IN A RESTAURANT. SEND A LETTER OF PROTEST proviene da OIPA.

This “artistic installation” of Carsten Höller doesn’t care at all about animal needs.

In Milan in the Hangar Museum will be host the contemporary artistic exhibition “Doubt”, which includes an installation “Mouses Funfair”. The installation was in the hall of the museum and was a displaycase which could be open from the top. The case contained two little mouses, really scary and constantly bothered by the visitors. They had food and water but those conditions were completely improper for their needs.

Thanks to a segnalation, the OIPA Animal Corps could take action and remove the animals from the museum. At the moment the mouses are kept in a safe place and are waiting for adoption.

L'articolo OIPA ITALY – ANIMAL CORPS ASK FOR REMOVING AN INSTALLATION OF CARSTEN HÖLLER FROM A MUSEUM: TWO MOUSES KEPT IN A LITTLE CAGE proviene da OIPA.

There is a wide range of species at the zoo, including big cats, reptiles and primates. Anyway it is possible to underline more specifically the horrific conditions in which over 2.000.000 birds are held: wild birds demonstrate high intelligence and mostly a strong need for social interaction. In nature, the surrounding environment is a constant means to exercise their physical and mental abilities, while in these “botanical gardens” they are held only for their magnificence and their wonderful colours, in order to be admired.

Essentially, the typical physical and mental activity of birds in cages is limited by the static quality of the size of the cages: they live as prisoners, without committing any crime.

The differences between their natural lifestyle and the one in the cage is patently evident: in the wild, these beautiful beings are social animals, and if separated, even for just a moment, they start calling their flock mates. Flock-oriented, they preen each other, fly together, play, and share egg-incubation duties. Many species of birds choose a partner which will remain the same for the rest of their life and, romantically, will not take a second mate if their first is lost.

Moreover, a life in captivity is often a death sentence for birds, who may suffer from malnutrition, an improper environment, loneliness, and the stress of confinement.

Birds are meant to fly and be with others of their own kind in a natural environment. A female shorebird was recently found to have flown 7,145 miles (11,500 kilometres) nonstop from Alaska to New Zealand—without taking a break for food or drink. Confinement causes birds to have temper tantrums and mood swings. The New York Times has reported that many birds “go off the deep end when they are […] placed in captivity. […] The resulting frustration, Cambridge University Zoologist Dr. James Serpell said, leads to abnormalities like repetitive behaviour, in which the bird’s head weaves back and forth, or in which it shifts constantly from one foot to the other, abnormal grooming in which the bird picks out all of its feathers, and aggressive behaviour.”

Taking animals from their natural habitats endangers not only the individual, but it jeopardizes entire populations and ecosystems. The MVOG-BETSI ZOO-BOTANICAL GARDEN have sentenced many bird to a life sentence, depriving them from the natural life and the habitat they deserve.

OIPA Cameroon wrote a letter on behalf of these creatures to the director of the Garden, asking for the immediate release of these birds. Cameroon harbours very few species of wild birds: caging them is the worst idea from a conservationist point of view, because suffering from many disorders, they risk extinction in a few years to come.

OIPA Cameroon has been fighting for the right of all animals.
All contributes and support is fundamental because every voice matters. Your voice matters.

L'articolo OIPA CAMEROON – A LIFE IN A CAGE: OVER 2.000.000 BIRDS HELD IN CAPTIVITY proviene da OIPA.