Brigitte Bardot saves alcoholic bears

Two Russian bears who were plied with alcohol and forced to live in squalid conditions have been re-homed and put on a rehab programme – with a little help from actress Brigitte Bardot.

Credit: Big Heart Foundation

The alcohol bears were kept in appalling conditions for more than 20 years in a rubbish-strewn cage behind a restaurant in the Russian city of Sochi. Kept by the restaurant’s owners as an attraction for guests, the bears were frequently fed alcohol by guests causing them to become alcoholics.

The bears were eventually confiscated by animal welfare officials, however rehoming them was proving difficult as some of the side effects of withdrawal similar to those seen in humans, including unpredictable tempers.

But the pair could soon be enjoying a new life in Romania after the animal welfare organisation British Big Hearts Foundation stepped forward winning backing from the Brigitte Bardot Fund – a leading animal protection group.

Anna Kogan, of the British Big Hearts Foundation said: “The problem is that they are alcoholics, and it is even more difficult to wean bears off alcohol than is with human beings.”

The bears were moved to the port of Constanta in Romania and are now due to be sent to the Bear Park in central Transylvania which has agreed to rehome them and treat them for alcoholic dependency.Their former owner Dzheniks Uzaroshvili has denied being cruel to the bears claiming that “beer is good for the bears because of the Sochi climate.” Other alleged activity to have taken place at the restaurant included shining a spotlight on the bears and laughing at their reaction, which was why one of the bears was virtually blind, according to evidence given in court.