For hundreds of years, humans have held wild animals, like monkeys, lions, and bears in captivity.
They do this to make them perform tricks in order to attract audiences and make money.
It’s not right.
And, although many years ago this might have looked like an interesting sight, today people are sensitized to the inhumane practices followed by “trainers” in order to make those animals perform the tricks.
Today, we know that wild animals live in cages that offer them minimum room to move- when they are not tied from the neck and obligated to stand on their hind feet.
And people are trying to change it.
This constant physical and mental abuse takes a toll on these poor creatures’ health.
The practices followed often lead to joint damage or even necrosis and paralysis, making the animals suffer from a young age and for the rest of their lives.
And, while many of these wild animals spend their whole lives in cages and die neglected in captivity, there are some lucky ones that get rescued.
Meet Fifi.
She is a 30-year-old bear who had spent most of her life in a cage until she was rescued.
Fifi performed tricks for 10 years.
Then, she was considered useless and she was forced into a cage, which she never left again for another twenty years.
She never got out of it and she never changed cages.
When Peta found out about Fifi’s condition, they decided to intervene. The organization arranged to rescue her and move her to a bear sanctuary in Colorado.
“When we met her, she was shockingly thin, and she suffered from painful, untreated arthritis… Fifi was rescued by Peta, and the Wild Animal Sanctuary, and she was transported to their beautiful facility in Colorado,” said Brittany Peet, Deputy Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement.
Peta and the sanctuary staff were concerned about Fifi’s condition.
They didn’t know whether she would be able to bounce back, after so many years living in a cage without interaction with other bears.
But Fifi exceeded their expectations.
After only five months at the sanctuary, Fifi turned into the beautiful bear she could have been.
She gained all the weight that was necessary, her fur grew full, and she even started socializing with other bears living there.
Her health issues were being treated, which relieved her pain, and her legs started getting stronger and stronger every day, thanks to her walking and running around the seemingly endless enclosure, along with her new friends.
Fifi could finally be a bear.
On top of everything, after thirty years, Fifi had the opportunity to hibernate.
The sanctuary staff provides their bears with comfortable dens, where they can spend the winter.
And Fifi was more than happy to spend the winter in her den. She really needed it after more than thirty years of suffering.
The video about Fifi’s rescue went viral on YouTube, amassing more than 7.5 million views.
People were shocked by the animal’s earlier condition, but thankful to Peta for saving her.
She’s made a beautiful recovery.
Learn more about Fifi’s story in the video below!
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