Construction has commenced on the Land of the Bear wildlife rehabilitation center in the Yelizovsky District of Kamchatka. The specially protected recreational site will encompass over 74 hectares near the village of Pinachevo. An initial site dedication included a tour of the planned infrastructure and the installation of an entrance marker for the future enclosures.
The development of the facility will proceed in phases. The site is not intended to operate as a zoo or a standard holding facility – its primary objective is to assist injured animals by providing environments that closely replicate natural habitats. This methodology is designed to maximize survival rates and facilitate the release of the predators back into the wild following their recovery.
Developing the rehabilitation center is a core component of a wider initiative managed by the Nature Defenders Fund to mitigate conflicts between humans and local predator populations. Physical construction is scheduled to begin this month. The initial phase will deliver a baseline number of enclosures – a capacity that can be scaled up depending on the volume of animals requiring care. The Land of the Bear center is officially slated to launch in 2027.
Initiatives to establish a dedicated wildlife rehabilitation facility in Kamchatka emerged several years ago. The project gained momentum after several orphaned first-year bear cubs from the region had to be relocated to a wildlife park near Moscow for specialized care.