A bear formerly kept in a minor cage next to a restaurant in Albania is now hibernating at a wildlife sanctuary in Kosovo, and is participating in a competition to see which rescue bear can hibernate the longest. The bear, known as Hope, was rescued by the FOUR PAWS organization and now resides at BEAR SANCTUARY Prishtina.
For two decades, another bear, Mark, lived on a concrete floor, reportedly cracking his teeth biting the bars of his enclosure while attracting customers to a restaurant. He was rescued in December 2022 and transported to BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach in Austria, according to FOUR PAWS. The practice of keeping bears in captivity to draw restaurant patrons was once more widespread in Albania, but Mark was the last known “restaurant bear” in the country when he was rescued.
Hope’s journey mirrors Mark’s in some respects. She is now relearning natural behaviors, including hibernation, after years in captivity. The FOUR PAWS organization is hosting its “March Napness” competition, which tracks the hibernation periods of rescued bears. A bear previously won the competition in 2025.
The Daily Mail reported that Mark’s previous living conditions were described as a concrete floor with cracked teeth from biting the bars. The rescue operation was considered a significant step in ending the practice of keeping bears in such conditions in Albania.
