On 30 October, the team of the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) responded immediately to an emergency alert from the Environmental Protection and Subsoil Inspectorate (EP&S Inspectorate) Vayots Dzor regional unit. Near the village of Yeghegis, an approximately eight-month-old brown bear cub was discovered trapped in an improvised metal wire snare.

According to local residents, the cub had been seen for some time in different locations without its mother. As bear cubs cannot survive independently until the age of two, the absence of the mother suggested that something had likely happened to her, significantly reducing the cub’s chances of survival in the wild.

The metal wire had become tightly wrapped around the cub’s neck, leaving the animal severely weakened and exhausted. After assessing the injuries and considering the absence of the mother, FPWC specialists and Inspectorate officers jointly decided to transfer the cub to FPWC’s Wild Animals Rescue Center (WRC). The cub received immediate veterinary first aid, and its condition is now stable.

FPWC is fully committed to ensuring the cub’s complete physical and behavioral rehabilitation, with the goal of returning it to the wild once it is ready.

During an inspection of the surrounding area, three additional improvised metal snares were discovered and confiscated, highlighting the ongoing risk of illegal poaching in the region.

This successful rescue once again underscores the critical importance of close cooperation between FPWC and the Environmental Protection and Subsoil Inspectorate in safeguarding Armenia’s wildlife.