Bears saved from 'years of unimaginable suffering'
Three bears have been rescued from the backyard of a residential home in Yerevan, Armenia, with the help of a Sussex-based charity.
The Syrian brown bears - Aram, Nairi and their daughter, Lola - were limited to "filthy cages" and denied "basic care", the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) found during an investigation.
International Animal Rescue (IAR), based in Uckfield, told BBC South East that their joint rescue with FPWC on 20 March took over 12 hours.
The rescuers from IAR said the "stench" and "filth" was "horrific" and followed "years of unimaginable cruelty".
"The sheer cruelty of locking these animals up in tiny cages and feeding them cola, it was absolutely horrific," said Alan Knight, president of IAR.
Rescuers say the male bear (Aram) was held captive for 12 years and repeatedly bred with a female bear (Nairi) taken from the wild.
Their daughter, Lola, was discovered with them, while previous cubs had been taken and sold, according to IAR.
Mr Knight said: "These were some of the worst conditions I have ever seen."
IAR described the rescue as their "most difficult one to date".
The rescue team say they were initially refused entry to the property by the bears' owner, despite having a legal order.
After a drawn out standoff, rescuers say they finally gained access at night-fall and worked to sedate and transport the bears "under heavy rain and darkness" using torches.
IAR told BBC South East that the three bears are now under supervised quarantine and receiving urgent veterinary care at FPWC's wildlife rescue centre in Urtsadzor, Armenia.
An appeal has been launched by IAR to fund their ongoing care and to help complete a new sanctuary where the bears can live.
Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
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