Born Free Foundation - Keep Wildlife in the Wild

Schnute and Maxi, mother and daughter, are both European brown bears that have been housed in the bear pit since their birth: 1981 and 1986 respectively. The two bears are usually seen to repeatedly pace up and down their enclosure with an occasional twist of the head, a common behavioural disorder observed in bears in captivity. Many Berliners are unaware of their existence and are horrified when they are discovered. Many of those who know the plight of Schnute and Maxi want them rehomed elsewhere.

Opened in 1939, the brick and concrete Berlin bear-pit in Köllnischer Park is bizarrely a listed-national building. Despite some efforts made over the years to improve the interior of the pit, the enclosure holds little representation to the forests where wild bear roam. To date, it has housed over 12 bears, animals that have reportedly had a total of 50 offspring, the majority of which have been rehomed in zoos and circuses throughout Europe.

While other European cities phase-out the keeping of bears in pits and castle moats, Berlin maintains this archaic and cruel tradition for no good reason.  Born Free is asking compassionate members of the public in Germany, the UK and elsewhere to ‘bring their wall down’ and liberate Schnute and Maxi.

Please help us help Schnute and Maxi. Please write a polite letter to:

District Mayor :
Bezirksbürgermeister Berlin-Mitte
Dr. Christian Hanke
Rathaus Tiergarten
Mathilde-Jacob-Platz 1
10551 Berlin
Fax: (030) 9018 32101
Mail: christian.hanke@ba-mitte.verwalt-berlin.de

Mayor of the Berlin :
Der Regierende Bürgermeister von Berlin
Klaus Wowereit
- Senatskanzlei -
Jüdenstr. 1
10178 Berlin
Fax (030) 9026-3015
Mail: der-regierende-buergermeister@senatskanzlei.berlin.de

This campaign is in collaboration with Animal Public www.animal-public.de 

*Non-governmental organisations

Update: After being moved around the country for many weeks, it is believed that Sindu and Raju, the two baby ‘tusker’ elephants from Pinnewala gifted to the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, are to be separated from each other and sent to different facilities in the North West of the country. From there it is likely that they will still be used in religious processions and possibly other activities, and presumably will continue being trained for a life of work in captivity. Unfortunately the court case that was originally brought against their transfer was dismissed at the end of last year, so currently there is no legal challenge to the distressing treatment they have received. Although the public outcry was well publicised, it seems that the political and religious institutions involved have not been open to the calls for compassion in this case. We will keep track of any further developments.

Two babies, named Sindu and Raju, were born at the Pinnewala Elephant ‘Orphanage’ in Sri Lanka. This facility, run by the national zoo, cares for over 80 elephants, some rescued from the wild and some born at the site. However, on Saturday 25th July these two babies under the age of three were taken from Pinnewala to the country’s most prestigious Buddhist temple, the Temple of the Tooth (or Dalada Maligawa in local Sinhalese) in the cultural capital of Kandy, chosen because it had been noticed that they were starting to grow tusks.