The hotel repeated its “One Team, one Goal – One Tonne of Food” initiative for a fifth consecutive year.
Bansko, 18 October 2017 – On 16 October, Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko’s management team visited the Dancing Bears Park in Belitsa with the honourable mission of donating one tonne of fresh fruits. Every year the hotel purposely plans its visit in the month of October as this time of the year the bears prepare themselves for winter hibernation and they need more food and vitamins. The food will be hidden in different places, so the bears can search and find it themselves exactly as they normally do in a natural wild environment. They are fed three times a day and have full medical checks every year. Now 26 bears live at Bears Park Belitsa, divided by temperament into seven sectors. The last two rescued bears this year came from Albania, and for ten years there have been no more dancing bears in Bulgaria. The youngest bear in the park is two-and-a-half years old and the oldest one is 36 years old. Last year, 19 of them dug their own dens and all of them hibernated, which shows clearly that they have already adapted. At the time of the hotel visit, two of them had already hibernated and the rest were preparing themselves. Every bear has its own territory with plenty of space to walk and climb. They live in a forested land of 120,000 sq m with access to natural water resources and specially made dens and ponds.
On the occasion of the visit, General Manager Natalia Kashirskaya commented, “This was my first visit to the Dancing Bears Park in Belitsa and I am very impressed. The park and the nature around are stunning. Today we heard the story of the rescued bears, how they have been used to entertain the tourists and the painful way of training them to dance. Luckily, all the bears are now in their natural habitat and the park’s staff are taking perfect care of them. We will continue supporting the staff in their mission and we are already looking forward to our next visit there.”
The hosts of the park didn’t miss the chance to surprise the hotel team and expressed their gratitude by organising a home-made lunch, where everybody enjoyed themselves and shared funny stories.
About Dancing Bears Park in Belitsa
Founded in 2000 by the Four Paws Organisation, the Brigitte Bardot Foundation and the Municipality of Belitsa, the Dancing Bears Park is a rehabilitation centre for protection and care of abused bears. The rescued animals have been mistreated and often malnourished by their previous owners, who used them to entertain tourists in various resorts throughout the country. There are two information buildings – one in the original part and one in the extension. A medical centre allows even the most complicated veterinary procedures to be performed. The safety of both bears and visitors is guaranteed by 26.608 m of electric shepherd wire – 105 lamps are installed for night surveillance.
For more information: https://www.facebook.com/DancingBearsPark/
About Kempinski:
Created in 1897, Kempinski Hotels is Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group. Kempinski’s rich heritage of impeccable personal service and superb hospitality is complemented by the exclusivity and individuality of its properties. Kempinski now manages a portfolio of 76 five-star hotels and residences in 31 countries and continues to add new properties in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Each property reflects the strength and success of the Kempinski brand without losing sight of its heritage. The portfolio comprises historic landmark properties, award-winning urban lifestyle hotels, outstanding resorts and prestigious residences. Each one is imbued with the quality guests have come to expect from Kempinski while embracing the cultural traditions of its location. Kempinski is a founding member of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands.
www.kempinski.com • www.gha.com
For further information, please contact:
Emiliya Kordeva ▪ PR and Marketing Manager ▪
Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko ▪ 96, Pirin Street ▪ 2770 Bansko ▪ Bulgaria
Tel. +359 749 88568 ▪ Fax +359 749 88560 ▪ emiliya.kordeva@kempinski.com
To book or for further information, visit
www.kempinski.com/press • www.gha.com
