Albania Finally Frees Mark the Restaurant Bear

After more than two decades of incarceration in an Albanian restaurant, Mark the bear has been freed. The animal welfare group Four Paws negotiated the release of the last so-called “restaurant bear” in Albania, and he is now on his way to a bear sanctuary in Arbesbach, Austria.

The big guy had been kept in a tiny cage next to a Tiriana restaurant for most of his 24 years, a cruel existence so unnatural that he has never even had the chance to hibernate. The restaurant owner voluntarily released Mark into the care of Four Paws.

“Mark spent more than 20 years in a barren cage that is much too small and lacks materials to keep him busy and stimulated,” said Four Paws rescue coordinator Magdalena Scherk-Trettin. “Due to boredom and stress, he displays abnormal behaviors, including repetitive pacing and biting on the metal bars of his cage. He is severely overweight, his teeth are partially broken, and the way he moves indicates that he needs further examination and treatment.”

Now he will receive that tender care in Arbesbach, where Mark will get “necessary veterinary treatments, proper care and species-appropriate food so he can hopefully recover and enjoy a bear-worthy life."

A bear-worthy life is what every bear deserves.

Photo credit: Four Paws International