Tomi, a brown bear living in Albania, was treated as nothing more than a tourist attraction. Now, he's one of 50 bears to be freed.
For two long years, the world's saddest bear was forced to live in a damp cage, surviving on nothing but beer and bread.
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Tomi, a brown bear living in Albania, was treated as nothing more than a tourist attraction after he was reportedly darted and taken out of his natural home in the mountains.
Tourists flocked the town of Ulza, located north of Albania's capital, to feed Tomi junk food, and pose with him for selfies.
"Tomi is in very poor state," a rescue group stated. "His teeth are badly damaged and he has injuries to his upper body."
But earlier this week, Tomi became one of many bears released from captivity by rescue group Four Paws with the support of the Albanian government.
The rescue team arrived with tools to cut through the cage that held Tomi, and he was promptly transported to the Tirana Zoo, where he will spend the next few weeks recovering before he is transferred to the Four Paws bear sanctuary in Kosovo.
"We are happy that the Albanian Ministry of Environment is getting actively involved now," a Four Paws rep said. "Their prompt action in confiscating Tomi is hopefully just the beginning, because there are still dozens of bears suffering in Albania in intolerable keeping conditions."
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According to a press release, Four Paws has a list of nearly 50 bears they believe are living in cruel conditions.
Tomi is one of many who will soon find a better life.
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