Help two caged bears in Montenegro get their freedom!

Ljubo is a six-year-old brown bear who has been caged in an unlicensed Montenegrin "zoo" his entire life. His keeper claims he found him abandoned on his doorstep when the bear was just a cub – yet, instead of working with the country's wildlife authorities to send him to a specialist bear sanctuary, the man locked him up in a small cage for public entertainment.

Ever since, Ljubo has been used as an exhibit to make money from tourists, who throw fruit at him and take selfies. Ljubo is so stressed that he bites his arms and the bars that cage him and paces restlessly – such is the plight of a bear consigned to a prison-like cell.

Now, Ljubo's owner has "found" another bear cub "on his doorstep" – a cub guaranteed to suffer the same cruel and unnatural fate as Ljubo if we do not take action immediately.

We have been lobbying the Montenegrin government and veterinary administration for nearly a year and through our efforts, Ljubo has been moved to a larger enclosure – for at least some of the time – and has undergone a health check by bear experts. Their report showed Ljubo requires medical attention for a potential knee problem, has not had any regular veterinary checks or received the right nutrition, and that he has no opportunities to engage in normal bear behavior like hibernating or enjoying environmental stimulation.

The bottom line is that Ljubo, and the new cub, need a bear sanctuary where all their needs can be met, and where they will never be used for entertainment purposes.

Please sign our petition to the Montenegrin government now to demand Ljubo and the cub be immediately released from the illegal zoo and moved to a proper bear sanctuary.