Dasha the bear had spent her entire life in a cage, entertaining guests at a restaurant in Armenia. She was rescued six months ago, along with her mate Misha, and has now given birth to twins, The Daily Mail reports.
British charity International Animal Rescue has launched a rescue mission to free the caged bears. With the support of the Armenian government, the Sussex charity hope to rescue up to 80 bears.
Six months earlier, their mother, Dasha, was caged behind crude, welded bars in a cramped riverside enclosure, where she was born ten years ago.
Misha and Dasha, whose coats were matted and their frames shrunken by their punishing existence, have now returned to full health.
Alan Knight, IAR’s CEO said: ‘It is fantastic to see her with the cubs and see such a difference in both parents after the terrible state they were in when they were kept in a cage to amuse diners.
‘The fact that Dasha now has healthy cubs just shows how effective this campaign can be.
‘We have been able to give these bears a future where they can enjoy freedoms that were denied them for a decade.
‘They are healthy and can get on with living their lives and Dasha has the environment and the support she needs to help her raise her two new cubs.’
IAR is mounting a campaign to raise funds to build an enclosure for Dasha and her cubs so they can have minimum human contact, helping ensure they can be released back into the wild next year.
