Bear Rescue Action

Association of citizens NOA Banja Luka at this moment is implementing a project of saving and transporting a bear from captivity in Prijedor in rehabilitation centre for bears in REFUDE de l ARCHE CHATEAU - GONTIER , FRANCE.

The bear is eight years old and was taken to a private zoo while it was cub. The zoo stopped working in the meantime. Person that started rescue action is movie art director Mr. Miljan Kreka Kljakovic from Belgrade who, while making movie in area of Prijedor, noticed condition in which the bear was. He informed association for animal protection HELP ANIMALS from Belgrade and it is association that we are linked with and cooperate with.

The only correct solution is puting the bear in rehabiltation centre REFUDE de l ARCHE CHATEAU - GONTIER in France that works in cooperation with fundation "Brigite Bardot" and it is equipped for taking care of the bear that have been kept and raised in captivity and in accordance with all EU stadards and regulations.

This project has the international aspect and character. NOA Association has task of implementing the project in Bosnia, NOA will gather all necessary documents and prepare bear for transport. Ministry of agriculture, forestry and water resources (department for wild life) has already been informed. Also, the veterinary office that works with ministry for foreign trade and economy in Sarajevo has been informed and we have established contact with responsible veterinary inspector in Prijedor.

As far the French side is concerned all documentaion for the bear's transport and accomodating and import is taken care of by our colegues from Association RESPECTONS and they work in cooperation with French Veterinary Directorat DUREN. At the moment we do veterinary preparations and we prepare bear for transport and according to our assesment it would take two months to finish all these tasks.

Serious problem that we had to face was lack of veterinarians in Bosnia who are capable to take care of the bear and prepare it, in accordance to EU standards. For this purpose we managed to engage and get in service prof. Djuro Huber from Zagreb who is leading expert for bears in the area of Balkans and also prof. Dusko Cikovic who came with team from Belgrade.

Their task is to sedate bear twice in the interval of 30 days and to take blood samples for analysis about TITRA anti-bodies on rabbies , the analysis would take place in Ljubljana where an institute works that is relevant and recognised in EU. At the same time, the bear has to be chip marked and dewormed , cleaned of all intestinal and skin parasites. Their work will be followed by authorized veterinary inspector from Prijedor Dr.Vet.Med. Ljiljana Damjanovic who is NOA member and our official veterinarian.

At this moment serious problem for us is the sedating gun that is needed to put bear to sleep for purpose of blood sample taking so this gun will have to brought by the Belgrade team.Accodring to plan first blood samples and measuring would take place on 13 Feb. 2008. Once the veterinary procedures are finished and we get export certificate , the bear will be transported by helicopter to Sarajevor and further to France by Airplane.

Year 2008 has beed declared by United Nations as year of bear protection and rescue.

All countries of the world give support to actions of their associations for animal protection and we are glad that we will join this global project and give this bear a chance to live a life that member of his species is supposed to have.

We are sad that it has to leave our country and environment and that we are going to be poorer for one bear but we already became that eight yars ago when this bear was taken from nature and its environment while it was still a cub and when someone gave permission that it can be kept in captivity.

We take our opportunity to express our opinion about zoo parks. We stand against zoo parks, in this age when we have TV , internet and possiblity of Photo Safari tourism as well as holographic projections, zoo parks cannot be attractive as they were during colonial age. We have information and it was possible to read in newspapers that Private Zoo Park in Delibasino Selo expects arrival of monkey from Belgrade Zoo. Belgrade Zoo is about to be shutdown cause of chatastrophic conditions that animals are in and because of so many scandals that happened recently.

If we take in account that Romania and Bulgaria are forced to close unadequate ZOO parks, we may notice that more and more animals come to our region, it is obvious that someone is throwing "hot potatoes" in someone else's lap. Sending such animals in region that has not Animal Protection and Welfare laws which is case with Bosnia in this instance.

The City Banjaluka has to have more sensitivity when hearing about these issues. Especially since ZOO park in Banjaluka counts on funds from City budget which directly shows that the project of Banjaluka Zoo park is not selfsustainable and possible to selffinance itself.
We ask you not to allow opening of the new prisons for animals cause in contraty it is just matter of time when us being Association for Animal protection will have to be in situation to ask for adequate homes for some of the animals that would be near its death in the zoo park due to lack of care and starvation.

We believe that this regious will be set in right order once the law about animal protection and wellfare of Bosnia and Herzegovian is legislated. We invested lots of time on this law legislation by taking part in public debate with material that was printed on 60 pages and taking part in the public debate about the veterinary law of Republika Srpska also with serious printed material that contained suggestions and proposals.

More then once we contacted and sent letters to the City Authorities trying to explain situation and suggesting solutions, we among many other things proposed opening of the rehabilitation centre for wild animals in Bosnia or the region.

How we treat animals is civilisational issue and City Banjaluka as well as citizens should take positive step ahead and with involvement and support of all of us together take initiative, we should not wait for requests and demands of EU officials to take actions and change things.

Saving the bear is the first project of this kind in Bosnia and it is very demanding and has to be done within certain timeline and deadlines and we require good coordination of all participants, so we ask you to help within your capabilities.