Ljubo and Djuro – captive brown bears in Montenegro
Since 2022, our supporters have followed the story of Ljubo and Djuro, two captive brown bears in Montenegro. Below is a condensed timeline of events. Links to more information can be found at the bottom of this article.
The discovery of 5-year-old Ljubo
In 2022, Animal Survival International (ASI) was alerted to the plight of Ljubo, a then five-year-old brown bear suffering abject cruelty in Montenegro. The animal was kept caged in a tiny cage so his ‘keeper’ could make money from tourists, who would throw food scraps at the bear and pose for selfies. Ljubo was so stressed, he would repeatedly bite his own arms, and the bars of his cage.
Ljubo moves to a larger, permanent enclosure
Immediately, we began lobbying for better conditions for Ljubo.
With our supporters’ help, and together with our partner Four Paws, we fought tirelessly for Ljubo. We are pleased to report that, thanks to our lobbying, Ljubo has been permanently moved to a larger, more appropriate enclosure, and we will continue to monitor his situation and overall well-being.
A second bear mysteriously appears
In August 2023, we learnt that the keeper had acquired a new baby bear, allegedly dumped on his doorstep. He kept the animal, displaying it to the public – and worse, placed it into the same enclosure as Ljubo, putting the cub in mortal danger because of the strong possibility that the older bear might kill him.
Immediately, we engaged with the relevant wildlife governing bodies in Montenegro and thanks to the combined efforts of ASI and Four Paws, the man was ordered by the Government of Montenegro to hand over the cub to a specialized bear sanctuary.
Disappearance of bear cub Djuro
Just prior to the handover date, the cub mysteriously ’disappeared’ – a fact that was not immediately reported by the zoo keeper to the relevant authorities, even though he was legally compelled to do so.
To date, and despite our best efforts, we have not been able to locate the cub, and there is no clue as to his whereabouts or fate.
Read more:
Update on Ljubo the captive bear in Montenegro
Ljubo, the bear, suffering in a cage in 93-degree heat. Why won’t authorities act?
Ljubo the caged bear is STILL suffering. Here is the progress we have made so far.
IMPORTANT UPDATE on the fight to FREE LJUBO, a bear in despair!
BREAKING: Montenegro’s shame, illegal zoo gets another illicit BEAR CUB.
CRUELTY TO ANIMALS GETS NO WORSE THAN THIS! Help FREE this CAGED BEAR to a sanctuary!