The majority of bears are already outside their nests in Arcturos Sanctuary in Nymphaio by Florina in Northern Greece. The spring temperatures of the last few days rang the wake-up bell and the 14 bears of the Sanctuary gradually emerged from their deep and long winter sleep.
embedded by Embedded Video
YouTube Direkt
As always, the youngest bears were the ones that woke up first.
The three bears that came from Albania Sandy, Mira and Duke as wells as Giorgos woke up early and started to play.
Even this year they preferred to sleep in natural nests that had been created in the past by other bears. Kyriakos and Manolis are active as well.
In contrast, older bears like as Sasha and Alexandra were the last to wake up and currently prefer their nests where they spend most of the day.
The two bears who came the zoo in Thessaloniki experienced hibernation for the first time in their lives in 2015, at the age of 22 when they came to Arcturos Sanctuary. Since then, every winter the follow the normal cycle of life and sleep early, showing that their instincts are working normally.
Another bear, Barbara slept in a natural nest, which she formed by placing branches and leaves together.
Despite the fact that this year there has been heavy snow in the Sanctuary, the snow has melted and the bears spend several hours during the day wandering around.
ARCTUROS announces that visitors can again visit the Sanctuary as of Thursday 15th March 2018.v
Opening hours during the weekends and on week days except Wednesday are 10.00-16.30.
Tour hours: 10.00, 11.00, 12.00, 13.00, 14.00, 15.00, 16.00, 16.30.
Opened every weekend and public holidays are the two other areas of the ARCTOUROS Environmental Center, the Wolf Sanctuary in Floridas, and the Bearing Information Center at the Nikeo School in Nymfeo.
More information for visitors and for school appointments at 23860 41500.
Three weeks ago, Rey, a one-year-old cub, was rescued by an Animal Rescue Organization in Albania and was transferred to Arcturos.
Rey was in the hands of smugglers who wanted to sell him after probably they had killed his mother. When he was rescued in May 2017 he had just a few teeth and was malnourished weighting just 5 kilos. He spent some time in an Albanian zoo, until he could make it to the Sanctuary.
He is now in rehabilitation center of Arcturos.
Website ARCTUROS Wildlife Sanctuary
The Sanctuary has been doing an amazing work since 1992.
You can make a donation here or adopt a bear, a wolf or a Greek shepherd dog here.
