Female brown bear Kassandra was an illegally-kept restaurant bear in Kosovo who suffered a miserable existence for years. She was the first bear to be rescued by FOUR PAWS in Kosovo, in 2013. She now lives a happy life in BEAR SANCTUARY Prishtina.

In the beginning of August, a first group of young rescued kestrels came to our OWL & BIRDS OF PREY RESCUE STATION Haringsee, where they were raised by kestrel foster parents before they could start their life in freedom.

Lion Ivan-Asen was born in Razgrad Zoo, a Bulgarian zoo that also functioned as an illegal breeding station. When we found him, he was malnourished and dehydrated. In addition to that he is the result of inbreeding. He now receives special care in FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary

Bear Dobry arrived at DANCING BEAR PARK Belitsa in 2003, after being abused for wrestling with people and as a dancing bear. Despite his blindness, he enjoys his life in a species-appropriate home.

The young lioness Marion became worldwide news in February 2019, after her claws were brutally removed with garden shears in Gaza's oldest zoo. FOUR PAWS managed to rescue her and the 46 other zoo animals. Marion now lives a happy life with 5 other rescued lions in Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife, Jordan.

Bengal tigress Dehli is the oldest animal at our FELIDA Big Cat Centre in the Netherlands. For years, she lived in a very small enclosure without any distractions, until FOUR PAWS met her in late 2013. Then, her life finally started to change.

An adorable young barn owl was found in a warehouse in Lower Austria. As the nest could not be found, she came to OWL & BIRDS OF PREY RESCUE STATION Haringsee until her return to the wild.

Bear Ben lived a terrible existence in a tiny cage, was fed only once a day and suffered from a severely inflamed gall bladder due to bile extraction. In December 2019 his miserable life came to an end: we brought him to BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh.

The little orangutan Tegar was in very poor condition when we found him and it turned out he had been made an orphan shortly before being rescued. He now lives in our FOUR PAWS FOREST SCHOOL, where he learns everything to once survive in the wild again.

The so-called ‘chain bear’ Pashuk was forced to suffer for many years in a dark cage next to a restaurant in Albania. The iron chain around his neck was so tight, that his flesh had grown around it. Since his arrival at our BEAR SANCTUARY Prishtina in September 2016, his health condition incredibly improved.

Bear Potap is a very happy and playful bear, but there was a time when this was hardly possible. 
Potap became the first resident of our BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr in Ukraine. 

Tiger Caruso was born in a circus but preferred to play rather than to learn tricks. After years of intensive care, he was transferred to LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa in March 2019.

Tigress Varvara was the last tiger that ever performed in a Bulgarian circus. Since her rescue in 2015 she lives in our TIERART Wild Animal Sanctuary in Germany.

Bears Meimo and Amelia lived in a tiny cage near a restaurant in Albania for twelve years. Since January 2019 they live a happy life in the Swiss mountains, in Arosa Bear Sanctuary.

Bear Dushi was rescued from the "Zoo from Hell" in Albania. Despite the fact she only has three legs, she enjoys her new life in BEAR SANCTUARY Müritz in Germany to the fullest.

Lion Jazz and lioness Savannah both had a very sad start to life, but in our LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa they got a second chance.