In 2000, FOUR PAWS and the Brigitte Bardot Foundation jointly opened DANCING BEARS PARK Belitsa - a 30 acre, species appropriate home for former dancing bears to spend the rest of their lives.

The bear sanctuary is located in the Rila mountains of Bulgaria near the town of Belitsa, 106 miles south-east of the capital Sofia.

The sanctuary is home to 20 bears, including bears Jeta and Riku.      

The keeping of "dancing bears" has a long tradition in Bulgaria.

Thanks to FOUR PAWS' initiative and the adoption of Bulgaria's last three dancing bears in 2007, we ended this practice in Bulgaria once and for all! 

The torturous training of bears had been banned since 1998, however, until 2007, many bears were still living in chains.