The bear will be flown to France, although it is not specified whether she's on a private jet or whether someone's dreaded middle seat is about to become even more dreadful. In her suitcase, she has a menu, a health statement, welfare documentation, and probably a marmalade sandwich.
The bear is leaving home due to all bear-able residences being occupied already. New ones are not planned as they are costly. In the assessment of the Nature Conservation Agency, the La Taniere zoo has the necessary structure, competent staff, as well as prior experience in animal rehabilitation.
Guna Vītola, head of the Riga zoo's animal collection department, said: “We found out during the quarantine that this was a female. In general, she feels very good, health problems or atypical behavior was not observed. We minimized contact with people, including animal carers, to avoid her getting used to human care. But whether the bear will return to the wild depends on the success of the French counterparts in working with this bear."
