Eight years after receiving the first tenants in the oak forest of Zarnesti, the Libearty sanctuary opened its gates officially and festively for our most important collaborators and supporters, including representatives of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). Together, we celebrated the impressive results of the largest animal welfare project in Romania – Saving Captive Bears. Since the sanctuary opened, the Millions of Friends Association (AMP), Romania’s first animal protection NGO, has managed to rescue 78 brown bears, most of them prisoners in illegal and unimaginable conditions – small and miserable cages on terraces of restaurants, hotels, and hostels, or simply in private households. “What you do is not only a benefit for Romania, but also an example in Europe of how you have to help the population of bears, and how to help the bears that for some reason end up in captivity and are no longer able to adapt to the wild. I want to congratulate you and let you know that I am and will always be here for you, both me and the Ministry of the Environment, because I hope that the example you give will spread for other animals too, for us to say that there are sanctuaries in Romania as well, where these animals can find a refuge and live a decent life and maybe have a chance to be reintroduced into the wild. I congratulate you, and you should be glad, because you did a very good job” is the message sent to AMP by Attila Korodi, Romania’s Minister of the Environment.
”This sanctuary is a leader in the world”
We shared the joy of this success with the representatives of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), the organization that made it possible for Libearty to become a standard in Europe for the protection and welfare of animals. “We are extremely proud to announce that the largest bear sanctuary in Europe is now complete and means home for 78 bears that AMP, with the support of WSPA, succeeded in rescuing from captivity. There are so many animals endangered by human activities and because of exploitation by humans, and we do our best to change the world in order to protect them. This sanctuary is a leader in the world; there is nothing like this anywhere in the world, and people can see that Romanians care about animals. We firmly believe that wild animals belong to the wild,” said WSPA’s CEO Mike Baker, who attended the event.
The last captive bears will be rescued
Over time, the reputation that we love and care for the animals reached the homes of millions of Europeans, thanks to the documentaries made by Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, Vox Channel, France 3, etc. Superstars like Peter Maffay, Natalie Imbruglia, Jaqueline Bisset, Leona Lewis, and Piere Brice joined forces with us to save the captive bears. The official opening is pointing to a new direction in the field of animal protection –children’s education and adult awareness. We would like to thank all those who have been with us the whole time. Unfortunately, there are bears in Romania who still live in captivity, and I think that with the support of the authorities and the media, we’ll awaken people and will make them understand that the best place for bears is here. In addition, it is an important point for the prestige of Romania for everyone to see that we no longer keep bears near weft,” said Cristina Lapis, president of AMP.
