First Resident of Arosa Bear Sanctuary Has Passed Away

After Napa's health continued to deteriorate, the medications no longer had the expected effect, and his quality of life could no longer be maintained at a satisfactory level, Napa was relieved of his severe suffering this Wednesday morning.

Bear Napa, the first resident of the Arosa Bear Sanctuary, was diagnosed with epilepsy in June 2020. The resident veterinarian Dr. med. vet. Wolfgang Zenker, an experienced wildlife specialist, began a targeted course of treatment to prevent further epileptic seizures. The entire team at Arosa Bear Sanctuary cared for Napa with great respect, and initially the bear showed no further seizures. However, after a brief period of improvement, he began experiencing tremors again with increasing frequency and therefore had to remain in the indoor enclosure for closer monitoring. A veterinary examination under anaesthesia provided no reliable indication of the cause of the epilepsy.

From September onwards, Napa recovered encouragingly well. He shared the facility once again with Amelia and Meimo, and as before, he generally asserted himself over both of his fellow bears. Unfortunately, on 20 October he suffered another epileptic seizure, and the medication dosage was immediately increased. However, the effect was less than before, and Napa's wellbeing was severely compromised. The analysis carried out by the responsible veterinarians concluded that further treatment offered only the slimmest chances of success and that Napa was clearly suffering. This conclusion led the management of FOUR PAWS, in close consultation with those responsible and the animal keepers at Arosa Bear Sanctuary, to make the heartbreaking decision to relieve Napa of his suffering at the age of just 14 years.

We are all shocked and infinitely saddened by this great loss. With Napa, we have lost the first Arosa bear with a truly captivating presence. Napa's story and his behavioral development touched the hearts of all bear lovers. We will have Napa examined pathologically with the aim of determining the cause of his health problem.

Pascal Jenny, President of the Arosa Bears Foundation

Alexandra Mandoki, Country Director of FOUR PAWS Switzerland, adds with sadness:

«Napa had a large fan community thanks to his friendly nature. Reflecting on his earlier history of suffering, it is comforting to know that he was still able to spend a wonderful time in the beautiful Arosa Bear Sanctuary. Even though I would of course have wished it had been longer. We will all miss him greatly, and he will always remain a symbol for us of all the animals we are privileged to help.»

Two species-appropriate and enriching final years

Napa was the first bear that FOUR PAWS rescued from poor conditions and brought to Arosa. Until his rescue at the end of October 2016, Napa had lived in terrible conditions at the now-closed Serbian circus Corona in the town of Srbobran. At the time, the rescue team found him in a tiny, rusted, and filth-ridden metal cage that offered no protection from rain or sun. The large bear could not even stand upright in his cage — and had likely been unable to do so for years.

In summer 2018, he was able to move into the new bear sanctuary in Arosa. On nearly 3 hectares of species-appropriate natural enclosure with numerous enrichment opportunities, several ponds, shrubs, trees, and meadows, Napa was able to live a bear-appropriate life for his last two years. It was impressive to see how, in regular learning steps, he increasingly adopted the natural behavior of bears. He learned what grass, soil, and trees are, how to run down a slope, what foraging means, and what snow feels like. By entering his first winter rest, Napa ultimately paid Arosa Bärenland the greatest of all compliments. Winter rest is only observed by bears when they feel comfortable and is therefore an expression of the species-appropriate keeping at Arosa Bärenland. In spring 2019, Napa then received two companions. Amelia and Meimo, two of the last Albanian restaurant bears, were rescued from inadequate keeping conditions by the animal welfare organization VIER PFOTEN and found their way to their new home in the idyllic mountain village of Arosa. The socialization of Amelia, Meimo, and Napa was a success, and so bear Napa spent his final year in the company of the two bears. He contributed greatly to conveying knowledge about animal welfare as well as the biology of bears to visitors of Arosa Bärenland in an engaging way.