A five-year-old brown bear called Henk that was rescued from Albania, has died at a zoo in West Lothian, Scotland.
The bear arrived in Scotland two years ago along with his sibling Eso after being rescued from a small roadside restaurant where they were being kept in a cage. It was thought that the bears had been captured and imprisoned after their mother was shot.
When the charity found them, they were severely malnourished and were surviving off drinking rainwater that collected in puddles in their cage.
After two years of living in the Five Sisters Zoo, Henk developed a sudden illness and passed away in his sleep on Wednesday night. The zoo posted on Facebook to deliver the sad news.
“It is with the greatest sadness that we have to announce the sad and unexpected loss of our beautiful brown bear boy Henk. He was a gentle giant, loved by all at the zoo who got to know him. He and his sister Eso had done so well since being rescued from their horrendous conditions. Henk loved playing with his sister and exploring his large woodland enclosure, chasing butterflies and digging up flower bulbs. After a few days, sudden illness, and despite specialist veterinary care, he sadly passed away in his sleep. We are all very sad, and awaiting the results of a detailed external post-mortem to understand things better. He will be sorely missed by everyone at Five Sisters Zoo.”
Tributes poured in for Henk on the post with many commenting on his “huge character” and how “playful and full of fun” he was.
Animal Rescue Albania who rescued Henk and his sister also posted a tribute on social media.
“Goodbye Henk, we are heartbroken to see you go but find solace knowing that you left this world free, far away from the cage that was once your home.”
It is not illegal to keep bears in cages in Albania and a number of restaurants and ‘private zoos’ exist throughout the country where the animals are kept in appalling and abusive situations.
