Renowned Bulgarian, German Doctors Check Sheltered Bears

Animal rights activists from "Four Paws Foundation" have brought freedom to dozens of misfortunate former dancers. Photo by BGNES

Highly professional doctors from Bulgaria and Germany will make this year's thorough medical checkups of the bears in the Bulgarian reserve in Belitsa.

The animals in Belitsa have been given shelter in the Belitsa mountain park after a miserable "career" as street dancers. The bears were forced by their owners to dance and amuse tourists. But over the last several years animal rights activists from "Four Paws Foundation" brought freedom to dozens of misfortunate dancers.

Their new home is a 30-acre mountainous park 110 miles south of Sofia.

The park - the largest of its kind in Europe - was set up by the foundation with the financial help of the animal protection fund run by former French actress Brigitte Bardot.