Rescue
Elderly Bear Makes Stunning Recovery After Being Released
This bear was caged for 30 years but made a stunning recovery when she was released into the wild.
Jonathan Maes
09.06.17

After decades of going through terrible living circumstances inside a tiny cage, four bears have finally been rescued and are free at last. A now-defunct zoo in Pennsylvania has used these bears for entertainment purposes and didn’t give them the attention they deserved.

The bears “worked” there for over ten years, but the zoo was shut down by authorities after several Animal Welfare Act violations in the nineties. The owner kept these animals in their cages for twenty years after the zoo was forced to shut down.

PETA
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PETA

The bears, named Fifi, Bruno, Pocahontas, and Marsha, were effectively prisoners in a tiny cell and suffered from severe malnourishment.

Bears should be able to explore in the wild, swim around and go hunting – but that’s something these older bears most likely have never been able to do before.

PETA
Source:
PETA

Luckily, animal organization PETA heard that the owner would be giving the animals away, so they more than happily decided to step in.

An expert was brought to the scene to determine if they could be transported safely. The tiny pens were described by PETA as “dilapidated dog houses.” For years, the circus owner forced the bears to perform tricks such as riding a bicycle without caring for them. All four bears were in horrible shape.

Fifi was in the worst condition of the four bears. It was a terribly sad sight to behold that these majestic animals were extremely weak, haven’t been fed well at all and were filthy because they didn’t have access to much water.

PETA
Source:
PETA

Fifi was also suffering from a severe case of arthritis and rescuers called her a “skeleton” because she nearly didn’t have muscles and was extremely thin.

PETA immediately arranged for a transport to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado. All four of them now finally have tons of land to roam and can behave like bears. Their new home also allows them to socialize with each other and other animals. They even have their underground dens and can take a bath whenever then like – something they couldn’t do in more than thirty years.

PETA
Source:
PETA

Bruno, Pocahontas, and Marsha were a bit reluctant to enter their new habitat, but Fifi didn’t hesitate for a second and the rest quickly followed suit. Because their new living environment was such a huge change, the animals spent a bit of time in a temporary enclosure just to get used to everything.

The four bears are finally living the way they should be, and Fifi has truly flourished in his new environment.

All four of them are doing very well, but Fifi’s transformation is the one that stands out the most.

PETA
Source:
PETA

Veterinarians regularly checked up with her and she’s was quickly moving much better than before. PETA says that Fifi absolutely loves her new open habitat and regularly goes for a swim in the pool.

Their new environment certainly is a huge difference compared to the tiny cages they used to live in, and it’s heartwarming to see all four of them finally thrive. The animal organization promises that the bears “will never know deprivation again.”

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