Bears Get New Life, Thanks to PETA + Friends!
BEST NEWS EVER: Seventeen bears have been rescued from what would have been a life sentence in miserable concrete pits in Helen, Georgia!
The bears have been transported to a stunning 60-acre natural habitat at The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado, where they are already rolling in the grass, racing around in the fields, and enjoying relative freedom and fresh mountain air.
The move was the result of a collaborative effort between PETA, PETA supporter and The Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon, The Wild Animal Sanctuary, and the Atlanta Humane Society. PETA worked quickly to relocate the first six bears—two pregnant brown bears, Ursula and O.B.; cubs Howell and Mansell; and juvenile siblings Drew and Rose. Ursula and O.B. were moved to the sanctuary in time to give birth to their new cubs in comfortable dens, and for the first time ever, they will have the chance to raise their cubs themselves, instead of having them taken away shortly after birth. Hunter, Nikki, Mikie, Dakota, Chance, Goldie, Ringo, Marley, Burton, Nanoochie, and Spunky were moved at a later date.
Each transport was a carefully planned event that included at least one veterinarian. During the long journey, the bears rested in climate-controlled trailers and the only stops were for gas and veterinary checks and to re-provision the bears.
Before: Living in Hell
The bears had been held captive in virtually barren concrete pits at Black Forest Bear Park (BFBP) in Helen, Georgia, and had shown signs of severe stress, including pacing. They had little protection from the elements, and the government had cited BFBP for housing them in unsafe and decrepit enclosures with jagged edges and protruding bolts and in cages showing rust and corrosion. While held in these tiny enclosures, the bears had to beg tourists for pieces of apples and bread. The pits are now closed for good!
Now: Rescued!
When the bears first arrived at the sanctuary, the team opened the trailer doors and let them slowly look around at their new surroundings before moving them into their new habitat. Dakota immediately stepped out of the cage, put his nose to the ground, and started smelling and exploring the environment. He then started grazing, and it didn’t take long before he was running joyously around his new, vast home!
All the bears were given time to become acclimated to their new surroundings and to experience sights, sounds, and smells that they never could have imagined in the bear pits where they saw virtually nothing but concrete walls and gawking tourists. One-year-old cubs Howell and Mansell were so thrilled with their new home that they immediately started climbing on everything in their surroundings, even the entrance to their den!
How YOU can help!
The future is bright for these bears—but other animals still need your help: Take action NOW for the dozens of animals still trapped at Jambbas Ranch—a roadside hellhole in North Carolina.
Rescued Circus Lion Feels Grass and Dirt for the First Time in 13 Years!
Thankfully, after over a decade of suffering, Will was rescued by Rancho do Gnomos. This amazing organization is a safe haven for domestic, wild and exotic animals who have been abused or neglected. Most of the animals in the sanctuary’s care come from captivity backgrounds, so the staff was more than prepared to help Will adjust to his new found freedom.
In this video, Will steps onto the grass for the first time in years! Seeming to understand that he will never have to suffer in a small cage again, Will makes himself right at home. It’s a shame it took him 13 years of suffering to reach this point, but we are so pleased to see him finally taste freedom!
Scared Stray Pit Bull Rescued From a Huge Trash Heap
Thor the homeless Pit Bull found himself in a rather dangerous situation when he wandered into a California recycling facility. Scared and hungry with nowhere to go, Thor managed to wedge himself into a giant heap of scrap metal in the recycling plant. When Los Angelos Waste Management employees discovered Thor, they knew that they would need some help getting him to safety, so they called Hope for Paws.
Hope for Paws specializes in rescuing homeless dogs in and around the L.A. area. Coming prepared with treats, leashes, and most importantly a determined attitude and a whole lot of patience, rescuer Eldad Hagar set out to save Thor.
As with most stray dogs, Thor was very wary of humans and tried to run away multiple times. After waiting to gain Thor’s trust, Eldad managed to get the scared pup on a leash and took him back to the Hope for Paws rescue center.
With a good bath and a little love, Thor has turned into a completely different dog! This happy pittie is now looking for a forever home – to learn more, click here.
Precious the Bait Dog Was Left for Dead by a Dog Fighter. Watch Her Amazing Transformation.
The life of a bait dog is miserable at best; most are completely ripped apart and left for dead. This is exactly what happened to Precious.
Most bait dogs never survive their lives in the ring, but Precious was lucky enough to be rescued by Love That Dog Hollywood just in time. Given the extent of her injuries, her rescuers weren’t sure that she would make it through the day, but this little dog was determined to live.
After receiving extensive care and loving foster home, Precious is on the mend and is now ready for a forever home! Despite all the trauma and abuse she went through, this happy pup remains happy, loyal, and affectionate.
To learn more about Precious or inquire about adopting her, click here.
The nearest access point to the railroad tracks was almost 1/2 mile from where we were told the dog was located. We began walking down the tracks and soon we heard the plaintive wail of a dog in distress. The wailing became louder and we knew we were getting close. Soon, we were able to see him as well as hear him. He was so happy to see someone coming and although he was a little concerned at first, he soon realized we were there to help.
The collar was so tight it had begun to grow into his neck, and there was swelling around his neck and face. Another week with this collar on, and he would have been in life threatening trouble. We had to cut the collar, which was attached to the chain- now wrapped many times around a sapling tree- in order to free this boy.
These tracks are now abandoned but back in the day when they were in use, the famous “City of New Orleans” train ran these tracks. We decided a fitting name for this boy would be “Arlo Guthrie” for the artist that made the song of the same name famous.
We are so grateful to Mr. Charles Jones for calling the sheriff’s office and asking for help for this dog and as always, we are grateful to Sheriff Jerry Carver and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department for their help and support.
This happy dog is now at Hope Animal Sanctuary where he will get the care and love he deserves.
The Story of These Rescued White Tigers Is a Reminder of the Dangers of Cruel Inbreeding
Jeremy and Simon are white tiger brothers who live at the Wildcat Sanctuary in Minnesota. They were transferred to the sanctuary, which is not open to the public, from a zoo around six months ago. This created new challenges for the staff at Wildcat, given that they had never cared for a pair of highly energetic cubs before and were more used to rescuing older big catswho were no longer deemed “useful” to the industries which previously used them.
But the amazing staff at the sanctuary happily took on the challenge and is now pulling out all the stops to celebrate Jeremy and Simon’s first birthday; using the day not only to lavish attention and extra special care on the young animals, but also to raise awareness about thetruth behind white tigers in zoos and other animal businesses around the world.
Birthday Celebrations in Full Swing!
Rescued big cats, like Jeremy and Simon, need a full and consistent program of environmental enrichment in order to ensure that, despite living in captivity, they are given the absolute best life possible.
The sanctuary has been awarded the sought-after GFAS accreditation, showing that it meets the highest standards of care for rescued animals but, for birthdays, the already high standards are pushed even further. Birthday fun for the pair will include play-fighting in their pool, chomping on watermelon, chowing down on specially-made popsicles and generally getting up to mischief.
The sanctuary has released a video of the rambunctious brothers getting an early taster of what today’s celebrations will look like and it seems as if they are loving every minute!
A Serious Message on White Tiger Welfare
Despite their obvious love for the tiger siblings, the staff at the sanctuary are convinced of one thing: Jeremy and Simon should never have been born. While the birthday celebrations are a way of marking an important milestone for Jeremy and Simon, it is also an opportunity to spread a vital welfare message that many people are simply unaware of.
White tigers are, by definition, inbred. Their unusual colouring is caused by the deliberate inbreeding of two animals with a condition called leucism, which is caused by a genetic defect. The continued inbreeding of these animals is known to cause long-term health problems for the individuals involved. These problems can include cleft palates, scoliosis of the spine, mental impairments, cross eyes and shortened life expectancy. Despite this, zoos, circuses and other establishments continue to breed them for the simple reason that they are popular with visitors.
Thankfully, Jeremy and Simon are showing no signs at this stage of ill health but the sanctuary vets remain vigilant. Julie Hanan from the Wildcat Sanctuary explained to One Green Planet, “They underwent extensive intake exams before arriving and everything appeared normal. Our veterinary staff will continue to watch over them closely. We know that white tigers, generally speaking, do have a shorter life expectancy.”
Glimmers of Hope for an End to the Cruel Inbreeding
Jeremy and Simon also represent a glimmer of hope that the end of the cruel inbreeding of these animals is nigh. Julie says:
“Simon and Jeremy came to us when a city zoo made the ethical decision to stop breeding white tigers. They decided it was time to put the animals’ welfare first and placed Jeremy and Simon with us in order to end the cycle of breeding.”
Not only this, but every time a picture, video or update about the two growing big cats is published, it sparks interest and discussion surrounding the issue.
“We want Simon and Jeremy to become the poster cubs for education about the truth behind the breeding of white tigers,” Julie explained, “We’ve already seen that their story has changed the minds of hundreds of our own followers. The most common response we hear is: ‘I never knew.’ We hope that One Green Planet readers learn and share the knowledge forward. We challenge them to help Simon and Jeremy teach others why seeing a white tiger isn’t really the ‘wonderful’ experience they always thought it would be.”
Here at One Green Planet, we would like to wish the boys a very happy first birthday. We hope that you will join us in supporting the awareness-raising work of the Wildcat Sanctuary by spreading the word about white tigers. Beautiful, they may be, but the deliberate inbreeding of these majestic animals must stop.
Find out more about Jeremy, Simon and the sanctuary’s work by visiting their Facebook page or website.
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