A brown bear escaped from the Ovakorusu Bear Shelter in Bursa’s Karacabey district after strong winds caused a tree to bend the facility’s electrified iron fence. The bear was last spotted in Boğazköy Neighborhood, where it was seen scavenging for food in garbage and gardens, as captured by security cameras.
Shelter staff, Forestry Ministry teams, veterinarians, and local gendarmerie have launched a search operation. Residents were alerted through social media and mosque announcements, urging them to report sightings to the Karacabey Gendarmerie Command.
The Ovakorusu Bear Shelter, home to 74 bears, was established in 1996 as part of the “Freedom for Bears Project” to rehabilitate bears previously exploited on the streets.