The association AMP (Millions of friends) which manages the site of Libearty, in Romania, succeeds only with difficulty in feeding the hundred bears in captivity on the 69 hectares located in Transylvania, near the city of Zarnesti. "Tickets and souvenirs represent around a third of our annual revenue," explains Cristina Lapis, the founder and president of the structure.
She recalls that "the bears need two tonnes of food per day, a cost that has been difficult to cover lately" and hopes that "the confinement will be completed in early May in order to welcome visitors again". Zoo staff in Tirana, Albania also work around the clock to feed the animals, including four bears, says director Luli Shehaj. The containment measures taken by governments in March came at the worst possible time, especially for the parks with bears, since the bears had just finished their hibernation.
"An economic shock"
For the Arcturos association, in charge of a sanctuary in the north of Greece, this confinement represents "an economic shock", according to its spokesman Panos Stefanou. The site currently hosts 24 bears, 12 wolves, 25 sheepdogs and a deer near Mount Vitsi, some 600 km northwest of Athens, and normally draws thousands of visitors each month from March.
"We have enough to keep until the end of April," says Panos Stefanou, stressing that the monthly expenses of the shelter amount to 43,000 euros, including 12,000 to feed the animals. Two of the animals - a male bear and a wolf - are injured and require additional care. A call for donations launched on March 26 helped cover expenses for two weeks, notes this NGO whose site is in a Natura 2000 area - a network of preserved natural sites in the European Union.
A possible loss of 180,000 euros
"We will launch new calls to donors and sponsors," says Panos Stefanou. But if the confinement continues until the end of May, the association will have suffered a loss of 180,000 euros, ”he deplores. Arcturos runs awareness campaigns, provides veterinary care and strives to reintegrate wild animals into the wild. Wolves and bears from the Balkans find refuge in this sanctuary but also large predators from Austria or Georgia.
However, wildlife seems to benefit from the peace found in recent weeks. Some animals have even taken the opportunity to reinvest in the cities deserted by men.
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