Animals in the wild
Trapped and suffering: Jimy and Jexy before they were rescued and brought to the safety of the WSPA-funded sanctuary
experience for them and a privilege for me to witness. I hope WSPA supporters appreciate just what a wonderful thing they have done when they help give a bear its freedom – they should be very proud.”
Jimy and Jexy Jimy and Jexy (see main picture) are the latest residents to start their new lives in the peace and safety of the Romanian sanctuary. Snatched from the wild as tiny cubs, this brother and sister spent their lives, trapped in a cage in a bread factory yard. Because of WSPA supporters, Millions of Friends Association was able to organise the rescue of Jimy and Jexy and now they are living a natural life for the first time at the WSPA-funded sanctuary. It was a special moment when they were released into their new forest home. They wandered through the trees and grass for the first time after 11 long years in a prison.
Alesha’s visit The Romanian sanctuary has captured the hearts of many celebrities who have visited over the years to help bears. Just after Jimy and Jexy’s rescue, singer, dancer and Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon visited the sanctuary (see picture below) and took part in one of the bear rescues – experiences she found incredibly moving and rewarding. You can read more about her visit to help bears in the next issue of WSPA News (Spring 2013).
Rescue mission : Victor with Geo rghe, a bear in urgent need of rescue in Romania
Blessings of the forest Victor describes to WSPA News the life that Jimy and Jexy are now enjoying. “They’ll be using all their senses, sniffing things, tasting things and meeting the other resident bears. They have plenty of space to roam and explore, foraging for food as they would in the wild – they can eat leaves, flowers, roots, berries and acorns – but as each bear needs around 20 kilos of food a day, their diet is supplemented by food given to them by the sanctuary staff. It’s like a country retreat for bears!”
You are part of the story “The commitment, compassion and generosity of WSPA supporters is behind every rescue over the last 20 years,” says Victor, with Jimy and Jexy now being the most recent bears to benefit from supporters’ kindness. “I am forever grateful to WSPA supporters for being part of every wonderful story I have to tell of each bear rescued from harm. The credit goes to WSPA supporters, that each bear can now live the life they always should have lived. And I am confident that WSPA supporters will be behind helping us rescue the next 25 or so bears – after all, they were the ones who built a home for them, which is now ready and waiting.”
Victor’s biggest wish “I can’t wait to see more bears like Jimy and Jexy enjoying life in their new forest home in the bear sanctuary,” Victor hopes. And with your help, we intend to make these dreams a reality.
Bear Sanctuary
©©Petrut Calinescu
You can read about how the Romanian bear sanctuary was built and the stories of the rescued bears in Victor’s book: Bear Sanctuary, available at amazon.co.uk priced £10.99.
Celebrity visit: Alesha Dixon meets one of the resident bears at the WSPA-funded Romanian sanctuary
A donation from the sales of this book will be used to help rescue and care for bears in the Romanian sanctuary and around the world. WSPA NEWS | ISSUE 14
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