site.btaExhibition Shows Stories of Rescued Bears in Belitsa Dancing Bears Park

An exhibition "The Rescued: 20 Years of History" opened in Sofia, presenting the life of bears in the Belitsa Dancing Bears Park. The exposition is organized by the Four Paws Foundation with the assistance of Sofia Municipality. It is on display on the Lovers Bridge near the National Palace of Culture until May 5.

A total of 60 photo boards show stories of the animals’ rescue, and visitors will be able to learn more about their natural environment. Curious details about the bears are depicted such as the fact that their mating period is from May to June. Another interesting fact is that in the summer bears can eat ice cream.

Opening the exhibition, Deputy Prime Minister for Climate Change and Minister of Environment and Water Borislav Sandov said: "I remember the chains with which the bears were chained. We will no longer allow such treatment of bears." In two weeks, several bears will arrive from Greece and will be released into the Central Balkan National Park, Sandov said. He explained that the animals were sent to Greece because before Bulgaria did not have the opportunity to take care of them.

Sandov assured that his ministry is also making efforts to avoid conflicts between animals and people. He believes that the key is the coexistence of animals and humans. “There is no other planet to move to after we destroy this one,” the Minister added.

The director of Belitsa Dancing Bears Park, Dimitar Ivanov, said that the park has developed a lot in 20 years, and the goal of all the efforts of those working there is for the bears to have good living conditions.

The Belitsa Dancing Bears Park encompasses an area of 120,000 sq m some 12 km away from the southwestern town of Belitsa, an area that is a natural home to the brown bear, a protected species in Bulgaria. The park was established back in 2000 by the Four Paws global animal welfare organization jointly with France’s Brigitte Bardot Foundation to provide a sanctuary for the re-adaptation of bears forced to dance for entertainment. 

All registered dancing bears in Bulgaria have since been saved. There currently are eleven female and eight male bears at Belitsa, among them rescues from Serbia, Albania, Romania, and North Macedonia.

In addition to being a bear sanctuary, the Belitsa Dancing Bears Park is a tourist attraction with thousands of Bulgarian and foreign visitors a year.