In December, the Libearty sanctuary had to say goodbye to another bear who’s also a symbol—Ursula. The Asian bear from Tibet left us in the last days of 2014 at the respectable age of 33. The hard years of captivity and neglect in mismanaged zoos left their mark on her health. When she arrived, Ursula was diagnosed with joint problems, and she moved with difficulty. Her sight was blurred by cataracts, so she found pleasure only in long sun baths and meals rich in fruits. In the last years, the old lady slept in her straw-lined den even during the summer.
Ursula symbolizes the rejected bear. Once the zoo in Buhuși closed down in 2008, its animals were distributed to other zoos across the country. Because she was an Asian bear, nobody wanted to take Ursula. And her old age wasn’t an advantage in the resume required by zoos that desperately seek to entertain their visitors. As it happened, her rejection turned into her rescue—the bear was brought to Libearty, where she received a special enclosure all for herself, near Max, in the area for bears with special needs. Since then, thousands of children and their parents have learned that animals should not be treated as inventory items that can be removed from stock. They are living beings and have souls just as we do, so Ursula will remain in our memories forever!
