Iranian wildlife authorities are continuing of a round-the-clock search for a missing brown bear cub that escaped from a wildlife clinic in Tehran’s Pardisan Park last week, officials said on Sunday.
Gholamreza Ebdali, director general of the Wildlife Conservation Office at Iran’s Department of Environment, said the three-month-old cub has been spotted at multiple locations within the 225-hectare park, but has not yet been captured.
“We are certain the cub is alive. We’ve seen tracks in three or four places inside the park,” Ebdalitold IRNA, Iran’s state news agency, ruling out speculation he had been stolen.
“But because it is small and the park is full of trees and undergrowth, it can easily hide.”
The bear cub, weighing around three kilograms, went missing in the early hours of Thursday, May 29, after reportedly escaping during a routine procedure involving other rescued animals recently brought to the park’s clinic.
Thermal night vision cameras and live traps have been deployed in the search, but the presence of other animals, such as stray cats, has complicated efforts. “Despite the use of night vision and heat-sensing cameras, we haven’t had success yet,” he said.
Authorities believe the cub is surviving by feeding on seasonal fruits in the park, such as mulberries and apricots. “It’s no longer dependent on milk and can feed on available fruits, so we are not worried about its nutrition,” Ebdali added.
The missing bear is one of two cubs found last month in the southern province of Fars. Their mother had been killed by a poacher and her body was discovered in the Abraj region of Marvdasht.
The orphaned cubs were transferred to the Pardisan wildlife clinic late in May for rehabilitation and eventual release back into the wild.
Following the escape, park access was temporarily restricted during early search operations, but has since reopened to the public.
Environmental officials say the search will continue until the cub is safely recovered.
