Bears arrive at Romanian sanctuary
Aug 7, 2006
© WSPA
The first stage of construction for the Romanian bear sanctuary has been completed and its first inhabitants have been introduced.
Five bears, rescued from captivity, have become the initial occupants of the new WSPA funded sanctuary in Romania, including Odi, Christy, Lydia and new arrival Moora.
This WSPA-led initiative has been undertaken to enable the re-homing of rescued captive bears in Romania.
The sanctuary’s new residents were all found suffering in cages at the back of restaurants or leading a life of humiliation in circuses.
Cristina Lapis, Director of the Romanian Member Society Millions of Friends, organised the rescue of the bears and is working with WSPA to oversee the construction of the sanctuary.
Initially, the bears were held at a temporary quarantine facility at the sanctuary where, for the first time, they could feel the forest floor beneath their feet.
A new life begins
The first bear to be released into the sanctuary was Odi, a 12 year old female bear, who was rescued from a tiny two meter square cage.
Odi was moved the short distance from the quarantine area into the forest.
She then set her paws on a real woodland floor for the first time since she was captured as a cub.
The next bear to be released was Christy - a male bear approximately 10 years old and over 300 kilos in weight.
Christy had been rescued with another bear called Lydia last year from appalling conditions in a cage at a restaurant near Brasov.
Christy was incredibly nervous at first, and it took some time for him to take his first step out into the forest.
Lydia was next, and in contrast to Christy, took to her new surroundings very quickly without apparent concern.
A new arrival at the sanctuary
A few months ago a fourth bear joined Odi, Christy and Lydia in the sanctuary.
This young female brown bear, called Moora, had been rescued from a circus in Bucharest.
When it came to leave the quarantine area, Moora was keen to rush out of the cage into the forest.
She was immediately stopped in her tracks by the new sights and smells around her.
At the time of rescue, Moora was very thin and ill.
Over the last couple of months she has put on weight, and like the other bears, has developed a glossy coat and is in good health.
Exploring their new home
All the bears spent hours exploring the forest area and eventually cooled off in the special fresh water pools.
The bears are under observation and appear to be getting on well with each other.
A few days after release, Moora was seen trying to climb a tree and all the bears were happily feeding on the forest’s natural foods (leaves, bushes and insects), despite having additional food supplemented for them by the sanctuary staff.
The bears have man-made dens which will give them a comfortable resting place.
The construction of a hibernation den is planned for the final phase.