Gretel’s life began in a place where freedom was just a dream. Held captive in a zoo in Călărași for 2 years, she and her brother Hansel lived in harsh conditions. They were malnourished and extremely weak when they were brought to the sanctuary in August 2006. They needed prolonged medical care and a special diet to recover.
Today, she enjoys 69 hectares of freedom, but remains marked by the traumas of her past. Even with the forest behind her, Gretel walks the same path day after day for a few hours.
This path has become an essential part of her routine because she suffers from cage syndrome. Each of her steps leaves a deep imprint on the ground, a testament to her desire for freedom and her courage to rebuild herself, step by step.
Unfortunately, captivity left such a deep mark that natural behaviors, like climbing trees or digging, are not part of her daily routine. This is most evident from the fact that her claws are long and curved inward because she cannot wear them down as other bears do.
Yet, despite these challenges, Gretel has learned to enjoy the freedom she now has. When she’s not walking her path, like in an imaginary cage, she enjoys relaxing in the shade of a tree or splashing around in the sanctuary’s pools.
Become Gretel’s long-distance adoptive parent and help give her a better future. Through symbolic adoption, with a donation of just 25 lei per month (300 lei per year), you will provide her with a jar of honey every month and a better life.
Once you have completed your donation for one year, we will send you an adoption certificate featuring Gretel’s photo, as a token of your involvement in her journey towards healing!
