Kuterevo Bear Refuge Northern Dalmatia

Founded in 2002, the bear refuge works with villagers to protect orphaned bears that are endangered due to traffic, hunting and poaching. From spring to late autumn, volunteers will happily take you around the large enclosures, explaining the history of each bear and touching on the wider issues of bear conservation. Your best chance of seeing the bears in an active state is in the couple of hours before sunset. Kuterevo village is in the northern Velebit Range, 48km southeast of Senj along the D23 and D50. The website is in Croatian, but emails will be answered in English.