Libearty Bear Sanctuary is located in Zarnesti which is in the county of Brasov. It houses over 100 brown bears, all rescued from miserable conditions in captivity
We left our park up that we used to go to visit Brașov city centre and headed to a park up in a field that was close to Libearty Bear Sanctuary.
The field was owned by a Romanian guy called Chip. It was free to stay as he was trying to build it up and get known amongst the vanlife community.
When he heard that we were going to Libearty Bear Sanctuary the following day he insisted that we borrowed his car! The 2nd time this happened to us in Romania after our experience in Bucharest with the motorhome accessory shop that fitted our new awning. We were amazed! He was very insistent too and said he could tell we were good people!
History about brown bears in Romania
In Romania it used to be common to see bears outside restaurants and petrol stations caged and used to “attract” customers!
Many cubs would be taken from the wild and used as tourist attractions, held in tiny cages in appallingly bad conditions.
In 2005 it became illegal for the ownership of bears, but sadly there are still circuses that use bears and other animals for entertainment
Libearty Bear Sanctuary
If you are planning to visit the bear sanctuary it is essential that you book tickets on line in advance as there are only limited spaces.
The Libearty Bear Sanctuary was created in memory of Maya, a brown bear who endured years of captivity as a dancing bear, subjected to cruel conditions and exploitation. Her rescue marked a turning point not only in her life but also in the history of bear welfare in Romania. Sadly Maya became depressed and did not make it. The story of Maya is the first thing you see on a big screen on arrival at the bear sanctuary. It is very sad.
Maya’s DEATH actually meant the BIRTH of the “Libearty” Sanctuary.
The Libearty Bear Sanctuary, founded in 2005 by Cristina Lapis, is a haven for abused and neglected bears, providing them with a safe and natural environment to live out their days. Initially, it began as a small shelter for a few bears rescued from captivity, but over the years, it has grown into one of the largest bear sanctuaries in Europe.
Driven by a passion for animal welfare and conservation, Cristina and her team have tirelessly campaigned for the rights of bears and worked to raise awareness about the plight of captive wildlife. Through education they have helped change public perceptions and policies regarding bear captivity and exploitation in Romania.
Maya’s story, along with the history of the Libearty Bear Sanctuary, serves as a testament to the resilience of these magnificent animals and the transformative power of compassion and activism. Through their efforts, many bears have had a chance of a better life.
THe Libearty Bear Sancuary sits 170 acres of woodland that was donated by the local council.
It is only possible to visit the sanctuary by booking a guided tour. The number in each guided tour is limited to a maximum of 15 people ( It may be possible to pre book larger groups ) and tours only take place in the morning. The tours take place around the time that the bears are fed as it is the only time that the bears are not all deep in the forest and can therefore be seen. Numbers are limited to protect the bears welfare.
The tour is about an hour, tours are in Romanian and in English.
The guide will explain the different stories of some of the bears. They know all their names and backgrounds. The stories are horrific, bears being kept in small cages and even chains to entertain tourists! Some bears were made to dress up and even blinded by their owners so they couldn’t escape! Absolutely heartbreaking! Most of the bears were traumatised and some depressed when they arrive at Liberty.
When the bears arrive they are treated for any medical conditions and wounds, their teeth are repaired and they are sterilised .
Once they are strong and healthy they are released into the training area for 3 months. This is to see how they adjust to being free. Once they have gone through the adjustment period they are released into one of the large enclosures of up to 30 acres.
When we went there were 2 bears who remained in the the training area for much longer. One was a small female bear called Eliza, she was blind. It would have been cruel to move her as she had got to know the surroundings and didn’t get lost. There was a bigger bear with her, they had arrived together so he stayed with her for company. They were both doing well.
None of the bears at Liberty Bear sanctuary will ever be released into the wild as they lack the skills they would need to survive. However they live a good life as close as possible to their natural habitat. They get to climb trees and swim in pools and be in the forest. The sanctuary gives them a good life and they tend to live up to 40 years which is longer than bears in the wild.
The sanctuary does not receive public funds and depends on visitors, donations and volunteers.
Your entrance ticket goes to help with the feeding and running costs of the sanctuary. It is also possible to adopt a bear which also helps to feed the bears as well as vet’s bills and maintaining the forest.
There is also a shop where you can by t shirts and various other things also for the upkeep of the bears.
Libearty Bear sanctuary is a very ethical place and definitely worth visiting, if you’re not planning to go to Romania then maybe consider adopting a bear which you can do on line.
You can find out more by flowing this link https://millionsoffriends.org/en/libearty/
After our visit to The Bear Sanctuary we drove back to the field in Chip’s car which he had very kindly lent us and we spent a relaxing afternoon chatting to some Romanians who had just starting their 2 week holiday. They insisted on giving us some home made raki and snacks.
In the morning we told Chip, the guy who owned the field that we were going to go to Bran Castle, also known as Dracular’s Castle and once again he insisted that we went in his car!
Our next post starts with Bran Castle and will be sticking to “the castle theme’ with Peles Castle as well.
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Our Life on the Road 
How wonderful that those bears now have a safe haven, I have heard stories about these bears before. People can be so cruel with animals, and particularly to purposely blind them, how disgraceful.
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Yes it’s very sad when you hear Maya’s story at the beginning but wonderful when you see how these bears are thriving
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