The illegal trade in wild animals continues to flourish in Eastern Europe – even the young female bear “Dori” was offered for sale online for €5,000, as reported by the Kronen Zeitung newspaper.

The animal, which had been separated from its mother, was confiscated by the animal welfare organization Vier Pfoten in Albania. After being brought to safety on March 21, “Dori” is now recovering in the Prishtina Bear Forest, about 20 kilometers from Pristina. There, she was housed together with 19 other rescued bears and is being well cared for.

At first, the young animal was still very weak and had to be fed with milk substitute every three hours – a time-consuming process that, according to Krone, was necessary to save the bear’s life. Now, at four months old and weighing 22 kilograms, the bear is strong enough and enjoys eating boiled eggs, apples, and carrots.

Patricia Tiplea, head of wildlife rescue at Vier Pfoten, explains that “Dori” is now playfully climbing trees and has accepted the bear forest as her new home. Unfortunately, release into the wild is no longer possible because the bear cub has lived in human care for too long, as Krone further illustrates.

The person who offered “Dori” for sale claimed that the animal had been found orphaned in the vicinity of the municipality of Librazhd, east of Tirana – a common claim used to protect illegal wildlife trade.

Why this case is significant

The rescue of “Dori” highlights the dark reality of the lucrative wildlife trade in Eastern Europe, as well as the positive impact of targeted animal welfare measures. With this case, Four Paws impressively demonstrates how important it is to rescue animals from criminal networks at an early stage and find them species-appropriate homes.

The Bear Forest Project near Pristina serves as a long-term refuge for confiscated animals – a safe place where injured or orphaned animals receive human care without remaining in captivity.