At the beginning of April, the entire country was captivated by the adventures of a bear that – fallen as from the sky – ventured into the middle of a city. Same as the film character “Paddington” – that coincidentally runs in cinemas – a little bear from Sibiu was seen while crossing the street and jumping fences, trying to avoid people and dogs. As there has never been in the recent history of Sibiu city a bear cub running like a ghost in the middle of town, the Authorities from Sibiu became alerted.
Cornered with firecrackers and the sirens of police-men who were more scared than he was, the lost cub has finally surrendered, hiding in a basement. As they have never seen a bear wandering in their town, several local people of Sibiu gathered to see the cub. Some have criticized the brutal intervention of the authorities, others were glad that nobody was harmed.
When the AMP rescue team went to the scene to recover him, the cub seemed happy to discover the hidden apples in the straw bedding of the transportation cage. The glossy fur that hides 80 kilos of wild soul, shows that the bear is quite domestic. Some say the chances of being “derailed” from the forest, on the streets of Sibiu are slim. Most likely he escaped from the yard of a poacher or he was deliberately released, for it not so easy to keep a bear in the household. Others blame the “distorted” mother who “forgot”, “lost” or even “abandoned” him. Only those who haven’t seen a caring mother bear with her cubs, can believe that.
Paddington is one year and two months old. After specific veterinary checks, the bear was neutered, received vaccines, a microchip, and was released in the sanctuary. He’s not the only cub cared for at Libearty: Pluto was born at the same time last year at the Zoo from Reșița.
Pluto and Paddington are the youngest residents of the sanctuary. With a little luck, they are likely to remain at Libearty by mid XXI century.
To watch a short video with Paddington, click HERE
