Viral Photos of Adorable Baby Bears Leads to Rescue and New Life in Sanctuary

Skeptics say there’s no point in sharing petitions and campaigns through social media, but the story of these three little bears proves that even small efforts can make a big difference.

It’s hard to resist posting baby animal photos on Facebook, and images of brown bear cubs Ema, Oska, and Ron soon went viral. Concerned citizens notified authorities about the photos, and the six-month-old cubs were found in two private homes in Peja, Kosovo, where owning bears is illegal.

Authorities assume the bears are siblings, and are currently investigating the mother’s wherabouts. When first seized, the stressed cubs yelped and growled in a puppylike fashion, anxious about their fate. Now, they’re safe and well on the road to a full recovery at a bear sanctuary in Pristina, run by Four Paws animal rescue.

The lucky cubs have no idea what they escaped. Carsten Hertwig, bear project leader for Four Paws, says people purchase the cubs to keep as pets, like small dogs. At first, they are blind and helpless and can barely walk. Of course, the bears later grow into large wild animals that few have the knowledge or means to handle.

Owners then use their adult bears for profit: “In a restaurant, for example, it’s an attraction for the guests, or for pictures with [the bears] on a chain,” Hertwig said. Bears are also commonly exploited as dancers, or for use in dog fights.

Ema, Oska, and Ron are relieved of that fate, thanks to the efforts and concerns of animal activists. Hertwig hopes that the bears can someday be released from the sanctuary into the wild where they belong.