The last bears were rescued from a private "zoo" in Dagestan: now they desperately need a swimming pool.
The last bears have been removed from a private zoo in the village of Rukel, Dagestan. They will live at the Dino Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Volgograd.
The owners of the "zoo" claimed the animals were being kept in a rehabilitation center. However, animal rights activists repeatedly claimed the animals were in poor condition. A prosecutor's office investigation confirmed this. Furthermore, it was discovered that the entrepreneur did not have a license to keep animals, the "zoo" had no veterinary inspection, and some species are prohibited from being kept in captivity.
Back in the spring of 2025, the court decided remove the animals. But because of problems Rosprirodnadzor's courts were unable to immediately remove them. Primates, pythons, lions, bears, birds, and other animals—more than 40 in total—remained in the cages.
In the fall and winter of 2025 taken away A white-tailed eagle, an anaconda, and birds were taken in by the Leningrad Zoo. Two brown bears were sent to the Tiger House in the Vyborg District. This spring, five lions moved to the Dino Animal Rescue Center in Volgograd. Last night, the same center welcomed its last large predators—three bears.
The center's representative, Tatish Shermamadov, handled the transport. Speaking to NeMoskva, he confirmed that everyone had been unloaded and the bears were doing well. However, there are still some animals remaining in Rukela.
"There are no large predators left. The only small ones I've seen are arctic foxes, wolves, porcupines, and raccoon dogs. We were supposed to take them, but Rosprirodnadzor didn't complete some paperwork, so we only brought bears," Shermamadov said.
New, spacious enclosures were built for the bears at Dino. The first thing the bears did was start drinking and trying to bathe in the water bowls. According to the center, in Dagestan, they only had imported water, and the owners were skimping on it. Now, animal rights activists announced the Collection for a pool for the bears - so they can swim and drink to their heart's content.
Video: Dino's VK page
