See a Bear Freed From a Cage to Begin a New Life

In Armenia, Balu the bear has started a journey to a better life, away from the captivity she's endured almost all of her two-and-a-half years, caged outside a private home. Across Armenia, about 80 bears have been caged in squalor, activists report.

The Great Bear Rescue, a campaign by the nonprofit International Animal Rescue and an Armenian group, the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets is working to rescue Armenia’s captive bears. Balu is the ninth bear the campaign has saved. She will be in quarantine while vets assess her health. Then she will live protected in a mountain sanctuary. Footage courtesy International Animal Rescue and The Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets