Will bears disappear from Czech castles?
Visitors can see bears in castle moats across parts of Czechia in Český Krumlov, Točník, and, until recently, Konopiště and Náchod. But the 400-year tradition is increasingly under fire. Critics point to inadequate conditions, while supporters speak of tradition and regular inspections. So, can we expect bears to disappear from Czech castle moats?
The National Heritage Institute (NMI) plans to end animal breeding in castles and chateaus by 2030. But critics say the concerns about living conditions are overblown. For example, Pavel Slavko, the castellan of the Český Krumlov castle, argues that conservationists have only photographed part of the enclosure to prove that it is not suitable. The size of the bear sanctuary in Český Krumlov is twice the legal size.
According to Slavko, the problem is more in the form of animal care. Nowadays, it is argued that animal caretakers interfere less in their lives, to let them live in a group in a larger enclosure of up to five hectares. But this is not suitable for the local bears, he says, as they have had a relationship with humans since they were very young.
In Český Krumlov, there is a 31-year-old female bear, Maria Theresa, and two nine-year-old brown bears, Vilém and Polyxena. They were rescued in 2017 at a Prague airport when they were being illegally transported to a circus. Jan Míša Černý, a caretaker who has been breeding bears for almost 50 years, commented on how they were rescued:
“They were smuggled by air from Russia and seized in Prague. When they arrived here, their names were Arny and Masha. I didn’t like that at all. We wanted Czech names—but not something like Franta or Honza. We gave them names connected to the personalities of this castle, the Rožmberks. We chose Vilém and Polyxena. The other bear, Maria Theresa, is a loner and such a nice old lady. She’s 31 years old. She doesn’t care about anything. She just turns around and says, ‘Screw you,’ and walks away. These two came here over three years ago. They were wild cubs from the forest, so I had to use a bit of finesse. I smeared my hands with yogurt and honey, rinsed them, and put them in the cage—and she licked it off.”
According to him, the bears in Český Krumlov have the space they are accustomed to, and it suits them. The conditions are also regularly inspected by employees of the regional veterinary administration, who examine how the bears are treated, their health condition, what they are fed, and they have never found any issues.
In 2024, the management of the National Heritage Institute (NMI) signed a memorandum with foreign foundations in which it committed to ending bear breeding on its premises, preferably by 2030.
According to Petr Pavelec, director of the NPÚ's České Budějovice office, no complaints from the public or complaints from zoo professionals or veterinarians about bear breeding in Krumlov have been addressed.
Bears have been associated with Czech castles and chateaus for centuries; in Český Krumlov, bears have been a part of the castle fortifications since the mid-16th century, when the Rožmberk family resided at the chateau and had bears as their crest animals.
Bears have already disappeared from two Czech landmarks. Ludvik the bear, who lived at the castle in Náchod for 33 years, had to be euthanized this January due to poor health. Jirka the bear from the moat at Konopiště Castle was transferred to the Ostrava Zoo at the end of last year.
Next to Český Krumlov, only the bears Agáta and Martin remain, for whom a bear enclosure was built at Točník Castle with the consent of heritage protectors by the civil association Nudle. The castle custodian, Petr Zemánek, said he currently has no information on whether an exception will be made to allow the bears to stay or if they will be relocated to one of the natural reserves.
However, any party can still withdraw from the mentioned memorandum, which would render it invalid. According to heritage protectors, this option may still be on the table.
