Arosa Bear Sanctuary

What a wonderful day: On August 31, the groundbreaking for the Arosa Bear Sanctuary took place. With this act, the launch of the construction of the innovative tourism- and animal welfare project has been a success. The initiators together with the financing partners were happily participating in this first step and are looking forward to summer 2018.

Ground-breaking Ceremony

Der erste Bewohner des Arosa Bärenlandes steht fest

On 27 November 2016, the municipality of Arosa announced a clear 78% YES for the Arosa Bear Sanctuary. The joy of this vote is massive, now the next steps can be tackled.

The Arosa Bear Sanctuary represents meaningful and sustainable animal protection and allows Arosa to increase the attractiveness of the summer season. Together with the animal protection organization FOUR PAWS, the initiators of the Arosa Bear Sanctuary provide animals who were treated badly a happier life in the middle of the natural environment of Arosa.

Get regularly updated information via the Facebook page - Yes to Arosa Bärenland.

Ideas towards Arosa as a „Bear Village“

As the development of the Arosa Bear Sanctuary becomes more concrete and the beginning of the construction of the base infrastructure approaches, we start receiving an increasing number of requests regarding the next phase of the project. The financing of the base elements (fences, stables, visitor platform) is guaranteed with CHF 4 mio by FOUR PAWS and two additional investors. Our next steps include generating further ideas around the Bear Sanctuary, evaluating the integration of those ideas and securing financing.

In order to expedite the process, the project team has created a donation box with a list of potential ideas. The list details a variety of development options as well as preliminary cost analysis. The aim is to collect enough funds to finance a number of these ideas. The estimated cost of all ideas is a seven-figure amount. The partial projects are currently independent elements that can be planned and executed on their own. The “Bear Sanctuary Team” is open to answer any additional questions regarding the costs and current funding status of each element. We can sense a considerable interest in financial backing and are very excited about the overall support.

Are you interested in helping to fund further developments around the Bear Sanctuary? The association of Arosa Bears will be delighted to receive any donation.

IBAN: CH9800774010339154100

SWIFT/BIC: GRKBCH2270A

BC-Nr.: 774

Account Holder: Stiftung Arosa Bären, Arosa

Donate now

Ideas towards ''Arosa Bear Sanctuary"

Media Info about the current Project Status

On April 18, 2017, the project group informed about the current status of the Arosa Bear Sanctuary project. Read the summary in the media message.
Philipp Holenstein, CEO Arosa Bergbahnen, Pascal Jenny, Tourism Director and Co-Project Manager, Julie Stillhart, Country Manager Vier-Pfoten, Hans Schmid, Zurich Zoo Director and Co-Project Manager.

Report Tele Südostschweiz

Following the first information event of the project group on the Arosa Bear Sanctuary, the project was broadly reported on the show "so informiert" on Wednesday, September 21, 2016, on Tele Südostschweiz.

Rezoning

In the parliamentary meeting of the municipality of Arosa on Thursday 6th October 2016, the 14-member parliament voted unanimously with 14 - 0 on the rezonign of the area of Arosa Bear Sanctuary, which was requested by the district council, at the middle station of the Cable Car Arosa-Weisshorn below Arlenwaldweg. The project initiators responded to this with great joy.

In this area at the middle station of the Cable Car Arosa-Weisshorn, the bears will be given a proper animal-friendly home

Visitors can watch the bears at Arosa Bear Sanctuary on a spacious plattform and there will be a playground called "bear school"

Official Presentation

On the occasion of the General Assembly of Arosa Tourism, the two co-project managers Hansi Schmid (Zurich Zoo) and Stephan Oetiker (embla) gave detailed information on the different aspects on the project.

A huge YES to the Arosa Bear Sanctuary

YES - to modern animal protection. A new, well-behaved home for abused brown bears, which could be saved from the worst conditions thanks to the international animal protection organization FOUR PAWS.

YES - to the tourist future of Arosa. A new summer tourism project with a potential of up to 80'000 visitors from Switzerland per summer season.

YES - at no cost and no risk. The costs for the construction, the provisions for a possible dismantling and the operating costs (permanently) are secured fully by the contract of FOUR PAWS and private donors.

YES - to new opportunities for all. The Arosa bears offer countless further development opportunities for local trade, tourism, construction and community life in Arosa.