Misha the bear, who had been transferred from Belgrade’s Zoo to Arcturos Bear Sanctuary in Nymfaio, Florina, during the war in Yugoslavia in 1999, passed away in hibernation, it was reported.
Volunteers noticed that all the bears had woken up except Misha and it’s believed he died about 20 days earlier as there were no visible signs of trauma. Burial took place in the non-visitors area of the Veterinary Station for the Care of Wild Animals in the Village Aetos in Florina.
Misha was born in the Belgrade’s Zoo where he spent the first years of his life. In 1999, the war in Yugoslavia provoked many functional problems in the zoo and put the animals’ peace and life in danger. Arcturos officials decided to adopt Misha and her sisters Barbara and Vesna and to transfer them to the Environmental Center, in the framework of Balkan Net.
Misha arrived at three years old, healthy but harassed, scared and skinny. During the next three years, he grew healthier with dark brown, short and thick hair. He had a long, thin, muscular and strong body but was not aggressive and coexisted harmoniously with all the other bears.
Arcturos officials appealed again to the Municipality of Thessaloniki and the Quality of Life Service about the transference of two bears from Thessaloniki’s Zoo to their installations in Nymfaio. The appeal was been launched in 1995 and again in 2011 with the signature of four environmental organizations and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Aristoteles University.
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