Nymfaio

The brown bears in Nymfaio, near Florina, in northern Greece, have entered their winter hibernation following recent colder weather and snow, as announced by Arcturos on Friday.

One year old bear cups, Bradley and Cooper, named after the famous Hollywood star, eat after waking up from winter hibernation, during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, in the village of Nymfaio, located near Florina, in northern Greece. The picture was taken on April, 2020. [Arcturos/Handout via Reuters]

The Arcturos brown bear conservation society has reported and condemned the mass poisoning of dogs in the northern Greek region of Florina, where the organization is headquartered.

In a post on social media, Arcturos reported that at least 26 dogs - the majority working dogs belonging to local shepherds - were found poisoned to death in the areas of Sklithro, Aetos and Nymphaio.

The Arcturos bear sanctuary in the village of Nymfaio, near Florina, on Tuesday announced that five orphan bear cubs that were cared for at its facilities have now been released back into the wild.

Greek brown bears Sasha and Alexandra have adapted to life closer to their natural habitat at the Arcturos Shelter for brown bears in Nymphaio, Florina, after a lifetime in captivity in Thessaloniki’s zoo. Arcturos staff confirmed that the two sisters, aged 23, were able to adapt beautifully as their instincts kicked in.