Environmental Centre ARCTUROS
Encyclopedia
Environmental Centre ARCTUROS commonly known as Arcturos, is a Greek ecological
organization which focuses its efforts on saving the brown bear
and its habitats.
, but human encroachment on their forest habitats have made them an endangered species. Through the efforts of Arcturos, the size of the Greek brown bear population appears to have doubled in recent years. The organization also undertakes the rescue of bears kept captive in inhumane conditions—such as the notorious "dancing bears", which are taken as cubs to be trained following the killing of their mother, as well as orphan bears and those improperly kept in zoos. It comprises a Veterinary Centre located in the village of Aetos
, where animals are nursed back to health and a Mountain Sanctuary in nearby Mt. Vermio close to the picturesque village of Nympheon, an enclosed section of forest where the bears are transferred to be cared for and studied until they are able to be released back into the wild. The Sanctuary also serves as an educational and study field for scientists and the public alike.
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
organization which focuses its efforts on saving the brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
and its habitats.
Activities
Brown bears once ranged all across EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, but human encroachment on their forest habitats have made them an endangered species. Through the efforts of Arcturos, the size of the Greek brown bear population appears to have doubled in recent years. The organization also undertakes the rescue of bears kept captive in inhumane conditions—such as the notorious "dancing bears", which are taken as cubs to be trained following the killing of their mother, as well as orphan bears and those improperly kept in zoos. It comprises a Veterinary Centre located in the village of Aetos
Aetos, Florina
Aetos is a village and a former municipality in Florina peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Amyntaio, of which it is a municipal unit. It is 18 km southeast of Florina...
, where animals are nursed back to health and a Mountain Sanctuary in nearby Mt. Vermio close to the picturesque village of Nympheon, an enclosed section of forest where the bears are transferred to be cared for and studied until they are able to be released back into the wild. The Sanctuary also serves as an educational and study field for scientists and the public alike.