Bern bears return to improved habitat

Bern’s celebrated bears returned on Monday to a newly renovated home in the Swiss capital, after spending the past months at a zoo in western Switzerland. The bears, known as Björk, Finn and Ursina, had been transferred to an animal park in Vallorbe, while renovation work was carried out. The head of the city’s bear park, Peter Schlup, told swissinfo.ch that after weeks of preparation, his team was happy that the transfer from Vallorbe in the canton of Vaud, went well. The bears, he said, were “trained for three weeks with good food in the cages. They were very quiet when they arrived, and slept for a bit”. Soon after, staff at the bear-park, located across a bridge from the city’s old town, opened the cages. Schulp said the animals were “now exploring their old-new habitat. We are happy they are doing well”. Bern Schildger, director of Bern’s zoo, which includes the bear-park, explained that anaesthetics were not required during the animals’ ...