Prishtina Bear Sanctuary-an adventure for people of all ages

 Amidst the picturesque surroundings of Prishtina, the first bear sanctuary in Prishtina provides a suitable home for up to twenty bears who have been rescued from substandard living conditions. Today I'm going to tell you more about this beautiful sanctuary, so by the end of you reading this blog you will be planning to visit it.

Arriving at the place.

Visiting the Prishtina Bear Sanctuary was not my first time but surely was the most interesting one. In comparison to my previous visits this time I had more time to read the history of bears, and get to learn how badly they were treated before. I also got to enjoy the beautiful surroundings, a little bonus.

In order to get in and see the beautiful animals I had to pay a fee of 2.50 euros which was reasonable. From the very first moment you step inside the Bear Sanctuary, you can see it has a friendly vibe. There is a mini souvenir shop where you could buy hoodies, shirts, mugs and notebooks with bear figures.

 Let me give you a little background of the bears that live there. In total there were 20 bears that were living inside the Bear Sanctuary.20 rescued bears each with a heartbreaking story than the others. These bears previously lived in places with poor conditions. Many of them were located in restaurants where they were used as “circus bears.” They did not have the freedom a bear should have or the food they need to survive. Moreover, they were also treated badly by humans with some of them giving beers to bears. This is the bitter truth, how cruel and heartless humans can sometimes be. 

From all of the twenty stories that I read about how cruel these bears were treated, the one that struck the most was the one of Pashuk. Pashuk stayed in a cage next to a restaurant for five years. It was wearing a chain around its neck that was deeply bonded into his flesh, adding to his nightmare lifestyle. The owners chained up Pashuk when it was a young cub and imprisoned it in a shack. They never removed the chain, and as Pashuk grew, he endured excruciating pain. After years of being held in completely unacceptable circumstances, he was able to quickly  recover from that quite tough upbringing at the sanctuary. Its neck wound has thankfully fully healed, and it  is able to enjoy the new life, accompanied with specialized and necessary veterinary care to aid in his ongoing recovery.

Meet RONI: The bear I adored the most. Roni was named after my nickname (Auron-Roni). Roni fortunately did not have the same treatment as the others. When they were just one month old, Four Paws rescued Ema, Oska, and Ron. The three cubs were being kept as pets by two different families after being sold. But as soon as the authorities found about the situation,they took the young cubs away, and their life were about to change for good, after being rescued, by the Bear Sanctuary staff. Since they have all grown up alongside each other, these three bears are quite close to one another. As a result, the trio is frequently spotted together. This is what is called best friends for LIFE.

Final thoughts: Go visit Prishtina Bear Sanctuary.

The journey to the Prishtina Bear Sanctuary is an experience in itself, where undoubtedly ticks all the boxes if what you need is an unforgettable trip. It is the perfect place to watch the bears and enjoy Prishtina’s breathtaking mountain vista.

 

Auron Krasniqi