Arcturos (organization)

Arcturos (Greek: Αρκτούρος, sometimes stylized as ΑΡΚΤΟΥΡΟΣ) is a non-profit, non-governmental, environmental conservation organization in Greece focused on the protection of wildlife and their natural habitats. It was founded in 1992 in response to wolf and bear hunting in Greece and the mistreatment of these animals, such as dancing bears for entertainment.^[1][2] The organization remains primarily concerned with the protection of these native populations of large mammals, including through lobbying for animal and environmental protection laws and their enforcement, and operating a number of wildlife sanctuaries.^[1] Among their other activities, the organization conducts scientific research, provides veterinary and rehabilitative care to wild animals, and works to reintroduce them into nature.^[3][4][5] The organization also collaborates across national borders, accepting animals from neighboring North Macedonia, Albania and Bulgaria, also working to protect shared mountainous regional ecosystems, and sharing animal population data with researchers in Slovenia and Croatia.^[6][7][8][9]