Bear Brothers Rescued From Life of Misery in Azerbaijan

A pair of brown bears – brothers previously stuck in a cage outside an Azerbaijan restaurant for years – have been rescued and shipped to an animal sanctuary on the Isle of Wight. 

The bears were among 13 others discovered last year, “emaciated and in a very poor condition,” caged in the woods. The brothers, named Benji and Balu, last year came to the attention of the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary on Wight, which began raising funds needed to adopt the pair.

The group raised £216,000 ($292,000) to build a habitat for the brothers that will “give them the opportunity to become bears again,” according to the sanctuary website. “With platforms and a boulder mountain to encourage physical exercise and provide a sense of security, ponds and a stream to enable them to enjoy the water for both mental and physical enrichment, bear caves so they can hibernate.”

With the new habitat in place, the bears were flown nearly 3,000 miles to Glasgow, then travelled to Portsmouth before crossing the Solent this week, when they arrived at their new digs on the island's southeast coast.

Benji and Balu’s 37,700-square-foot home has grass, trees, a 9-foot-deep pond, and a raised platform, high enough for the bears to see the sea if they’re so inclined. They’ll also get a healthy, varied diet and long-needed healthcare as they rehab.

The sanctuary will give the bears some time to settle in at their new, strange surroundings before opening them up to public view.

Photo credit: Wildheart Animal Sanctuary