Alesha Dixon Asher Keddie
Two international stars visited the sanctuary in November to attend two bear rescues at the closed zoo of Onesti Town. Alesha, a famous pop singer from Uk, and Asher, a well known actress in Australia travelled to Onesti with the team from the sanctuary and four WSPA media teams and have assisted the rescues of 3 bears.
The Onesti zoo in eastern Romania closed over four years ago after failing to meet European standards. Since shutting down, it has been slowly deteriorating. The cages, built only around 2002, are reminiscent of grim soviet-era facilities; cramped and rusting with cracked and damp concrete floors. Millions of Friends led a rescue mission to liberate the bears left languishing at the zoo, assisted by the tears of Alesha Dixon and Asher Keddie, at the end of October, horrified by the conditions where were kept these animals for so long.
All three bears have spent their lives in cruel captivity, living miserable lives in a tiny cage the size of two car parking spaces. The only shelter was a small den at the back of the cage – not nearly large enough to allow for three bears to rest.
The story of the 3 bears sound like a modern fairytale. They were found as cubs in a basket at the gates of the zoo, 7 years ago, after hunters had probably killed their mother. The trauma had dramatic and visible effects on the bear; found chewing, licking and biting continuously on a metal bar, breaking his teeth and causing a permanent mark on his face. Alesha said: “I was absolutely horrified by the conditions at Onesti zoo. I’ll never forget the sight of the bears mournfully pacing around their cramped cage. You could tell they’d suffered truly miserable lives; it was heart breaking that they’d never had the chance to move freely, climb a tree or even hibernate. But it fills me with hope for the future that groups like Millions of Friends and WSPA are working to end this cruel practice”.
The bears were brought to the sanctuary, they were castrated and now they were released in the 3rd enclosure. It will take them a long time to forget the bars of the cages, but we can be sure that they will have a happy life until the end of their days.
