Max, a Siberian bear, and Minnie, a Syrian brown bear, were rescued in 2018 from a filthy, welded-shut cage at a bus depot in Armenia after a year-long effort by International Animal Rescue (IAR) and its Armenian partner FPWC. Max, weighing 500kg, required special transport in a horse trailer, while Minnie traveled in a straw-lined crate. Following their rescue, the bears were quarantined and then released into an outdoor enclosure at a wildlife center in Urtsadzor, where they have since thrived, showing playful and healthy behavior despite years of captivity.

Seven years on, Max and Minnie enjoy a natural diet and outdoor activities as they prepare for hibernation, with Max climbing trees and playing, and Minnie gathering fruit. IAR is now building a new rescue facility in Ushi with a colder climate better suited for hibernation, aiming to house more bears. The organization continues its global mission to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife, while FPWC leads ongoing bear rescue efforts in Armenia.