Skopje Zoo has repeatedly stepped in when wild animals have been kept improperly as pets, confiscated at customs or found injured.
“Over the years we have taken in storks, bear cubs, deer, as well as smaller animals such as ravens, turtles and hedgehogs, which is perhaps somewhat expected, especially during periods of seasonal change,” said Vojo Ivanov, a long-time zookeeper at Skopje Zoo.
He added that whenever possible, the goal is to return animals to the wild. But the zoo also has many examples of rescued animals that have remained there for years.
One example is the bear brothers Bim and Bum, who were rescued as cubs after their mother died.
The elephant Daela, meanwhile, was rescued from a circus abroad and spent some time in a Zoo abroad before being sent to Skopje Zoo, while the chimpanzees Mimi and Izi were taken from the wild as babies.
Izi was part of an experimental drug-testing programme and his case contributed to the adoption of a law banning HIV-related testing on chimpanzees across Europe.
Although such stories are worth highlighting, Ivanov and Mickovska point out that the zoo is an improvised solution for these animals, which need more peace and space.
In fact, a better solution for confiscated or injured wild animals is dedicated rescue centres, where the animals have more space and appropriate conditions for rehabilitation.
These shelters are usually built in areas that are similar to the animals’ natural habitat, but which are fenced off to prevent escapes and to prevent contact with animals from the wild.
They are designed as humane environments where animals can spend the rest of their lives in a setting as close as possible to nature, with activists caring for them.
These habitats can be visited by tourists, but unlike zoos, rescue centres usually offer only organised guided tours.
Skopje Zoo and MED have cooperated with rescue centres in the region. The closest ones are in Greece, Bulgaria and Kosovo.
Melovski, from MED, told BIRN that about 15 years ago they found an injured bear cub and took it to the Arcturos rescue centre in northern Greece.
The cub was named Ushko and lived at the centre for around a decade as a disabled bear because the injury affected its spine.
“Ushko the bear became a major attraction because it was the only bear that had spent its life in a wheelchair. Children’s books were written about it, and it brought significant income to the shelter,” Melovski said.
Arcturos is a sanctuary on Mount Vitsi at an altitude of around 1,400 metres. Part of the forest is fenced off and around 20 bears live there. The bears were rescued from captivity not only in Greece, but also from Albania, Montenegro, Estonia and other countries. At the foot of the mountain, the organisation also has a space for wolves, jackals and lynxes.
One of the larger centres in the region is Libearty near the Romanian town of Zarnesti in the Carpathian Mountains. More than 100 bears live there, most of which were rescued from roadside restaurants, where they had been kept in small cages as an attraction for guests.
Activists at Libearty say that some bears touched grass for the first time when they arrived at the sanctuary.
