Bears kept for tourist bear-watching in Romania and other Eastern European countries range from well-managed sanctuaries to inadequate holding conditions with significant welfare variation.
Brown bears in inadequate tourist facilities are kept in small enclosures that prevent natural ranging, foraging, and hibernation behavior. Bears are highly intelligent animals that develop severe stereotypic behaviors under spatial restriction and social monotony. The ecotourism industry creates demand that incentivizes keeping bears captive; welfare standards vary enormously between operations with no consistent regulatory framework across Eastern European jurisdictions. Libearty Sanctuary demonstrates what good bear welfare looks like and provides a comparison point for assessing tourist operations.