Monica spent many years with Betsy, the bear “dismissed” at a circus in the United States. Speaking foreign languages, the two mama bears have not even given “hello” to each other. They lived on opposite sides of Training Area 1, as if waiting for something new to occur in their lives. That “something” was Mia – the bear cub who before being rescued lived the life of a yard dog, at the ranger station in Teleajen (Prahova Valley). Last fall, Mia was moved with Monica, in Training Area 2, just before the first snow. For the bear cub it was an unique experience, being the first step to freedom after a long period of quarantine. For Monica it was simply a change of “training” colleagues (Training Area has the purpose of adapting the bears to the natural environmental conditions, to the electric fence and to the contact with other bears). What she did not know is that this change was not at random …
At the beginning, „the whimsical” Monica as a gloomy day of fall, has established the hierarchical order in the enclosure, showing the bear cub that she’s the absolute boss and everything has to be executed, nothing can be disputed. No wonder that Mia climbed on top of a tree, and there she stayed for a few days. But things have changed. After a long period of exploration, the energy and cheerfulness of the cub, managed to break through the frozen heart of Monica, petrified after so many torments endured because of human. Mia began to approach the big sister and did not put to the heart neither the recalcitrant puffs nor the angry expulsions she was banished with. She insisted and the play therapy has paid off. Not small was the wonder of the caregivers when they saw Monica playing with Mia. And they did it like in fairy tales.
This is how Mia is soaring into Monica’s back and snaps her ears, inviting her to play. Pretending to be hurt, Monica leans back and pulls the little sister over. They roll and then stand up to their „feet”. And then they start it all over again, all day long…
