Petition launched to save Swimmy, the Bulgarian bear with a taste for a spa pool

An online petition has been launched to save a young brown bear that has taken to indulging in night swims at a cafe and restaurant facility near Sopot in Bulgaria’s Stara Planina mountains.

The facility, Lift Sopot, posted videos on its Facebook page of the bear, which it has named Swimmy, saying that he “had not understood that the pool is now closed for the season”.

The video has been shared 3300 times. Security cameras caught not only the bear’s late-night swims, but also his inspection of the roses, and his panicked jump encountering…a frog.

However, Lift Sopot said that it had been informed by the Karlovo Forestry Department that they want to put the bear to sleep because it is a threat to people, their property, and to beehives in the area.

The restaurant said that it was prepared to fund a capture and relocation operation for the bear.

Life Sopot said that wild animals are part of the eco system and it is irresponsible to kill them simply because they do not conform to our habits.

By the afternoon of November 2, the online petition had been signed 6560 times.

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The Sofia Globe staff

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