Eva Filipczykova, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Bears have been kept in castle moats in what is now Czechia since at least 1707, a practice that has increasingly raised animal welfare concerns. Several facilities do not comply with current welfare standards and, in some cases, even with minimum Czech legal requirements, resulting in public complaints and petitions. At the same time, some interest groups support maintaining the tradition. In 2023, the international animal welfare organisations Stiftung für Bären and Bears in Mind initiated a collaboration with the Czech National Heritage Institute (NPÚ), which manages these sites. This led to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2024 to gradually end bear keeping in state-owned castle moats by 2030. Partners implement the MoU through public education, relocation of existing bears to improved conditions, and a commitment not to introduce new bears, marking the launch of the Bear Hope project. In 2023, four castles (Český Krumlov, Konopiště, Náchod and Točník) housed seven bears. In December 2024, a male Asiatic black bear was relocated from Konopiště to Zoo Ostrava. In January 2025, the last brown bear at Náchod died. Since then, no new bears have been introduced to Konopiště or Náchod. As of 2026, five brown bears remain: three at Český Krumlov and two at Točník. In April 2025, the partners organised an international scientific conference on modern captive bear management. Concurrently, under the supervision of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZ) and the Institute of Nature Conservation PAS (PL), a social research project assessed visitor perceptions. Results indicate that video-based educational materials effectively engage younger audiences (15–17 years). The three bears in two small enclosures (250 m² and 620 m²) at Český Krumlov Castle remain the project’s most urgent case, as all exhibit severe physical and behavioural indicators of stress, underscoring the need for a definitive welfare solution that has yet to be secured.