site.btaUPDATED Two Bears Arrive in Sofia from Argentina en Route to New Home in Rila Sanctuary

Two bears from an Argentinian zoo have just arrived in Sofia by air en route to their new home in the Belitsa bear sanctuary in the southern Rila mountain. Gordo and Florence have lived in the Lujan zoo.

Landing in Sofia, Gordo and Florencia became the first bears ever flown from South America to Sofia Airport, the Four Paws foundation said in a Facebook post. 

The two will take the last leg of their journey in a custom van for wildlife. 

The relocation mission was led by the Four Paws with support from Bulgarian and international institutions and organizations. They first provided details of the ongoing mission on Tuesday.

In an online campaign to raise fund for the relocation, the Four Paws wrote that Gordo and Florencia had been kept in inadequate enclosures without enough space and enrichment, could not hibernate, and lacked proper long-term care. Both animals exhibited clear signs of mental suffering.   

The bears were vaccinated, dewormed, and cleared for travel. Upon arrival in Belitsa, they will initially have separate enclosures to adapt safely, with the possibility of social integration later under expert supervision. The sanctuary will provide everything Gordo and Florencia have been denied: space, enrichment, and proper care, Four Paws said. 

Flora the tigress was relocated together with Gordo and Florence. Her new home will be the FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary in the Netherlands.

At a news briefing at Sofia Airport, Dr Amir Khalil, the Four Paws vet and head of the Argentina rescue mission, said that it took months of hard work to prepare the bears for the long flight to Bulgaria. 

Asked by BTA what the expectations are for the bears' adjustment, he said that the experts don't expect problems with the adaptation even though it is some 30C colder in Bulgaria than in Argentina right now.

Four Paws President and CEO Josef Pfabigan said the organization's mission is to create a better work for animals. Animals either belong in nature or humans must provide living conditions for them that are as close is possible to their natural environment, he added.

Jesus Caballero, the CEO of SOF Connect, which is the Sofia Airport operator, said it has been a very special project for the company, that was six years in the making. 

Argentinian Embassy staff members expressed hope that the two bears will have a happy life in Bulgaria.

Lufthansa pilot Mario Bakalov provided logistical support during the flight. 

Before starting on the last leg of their trip, Gordo and Florencia snacked on grapes and apples, which the Four Paws staff say is their favourite food.