Brown bears kept illegally in Nicosia – report

Two brown bears are being kept illegally in a Nicosia-based pet store, according to a complaint by animal welfare organisations.

The case has been reported to the veterinary services, vice-chair for the animal welfare organistion Voice for Animals Dinos Ayiomamitis told the Cyprus Times this weekend.

According to the complaint, the owner of the pet store is charging visitors a fee to see the wild animals.

The young brown bears have reportedly been kept in poor conditions for several months.

A video secured by the online media outlet shows the two large bears in an outdoor cage, kept next to other animals.

Ayiomamitis stressed that the brown bears kept belong to a species that is prohibited to be imported to the island.

These animals cannot survive in Cyprus due to the climate, the animal activist said.

Police were not informed of any complaint as of Sunday evening, as the case must be first investigated by the veterinary services.

Brown bears (Ursus arctos) are found in countries like Russia and Central Asia and usually live near bodies of water.