Two bears in the sanctuary Bad Füssing. © Uwe Lein/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++
A sanctuary from Bavaria takes in bears and gives them a second life. Many of the animals have had a bad time.
Bad Füssing - In the sanctuary in Bad Füssing (district of Passau), circus bears, dancing bears and bears from poor private husbandry have found a home. The operators also want to take in the bear JJ4 from Trentino. What happens next for the animal, however, is decided by a court.
Is Gaia the bear coming to Bavaria? Sanctuary wants to take them in
The sanctuary is located in the middle of the Lower Bavarian idyll - strictly secured with a massive gate. 14 animals live on the site after being freed from captivity in various countries. Now Gaia the bear (JJ4) from Trentino has brought media attention to this place. The sanctuary wants to take in the animal, which, according to official information, killed a jogger at the beginning of April.
The sanctuary is run by the Munich association Gewerkschaft für Tiere. The chairman, Arpád von Gaál, has already submitted a letter of intent to the Administrative Court of Trento. On May 25, there will be a hearing before Gaia's fate is decided.
If Gaia were to be brought to Bad Füssing, she would first have to spend six weeks in quarantine, explains Christoph Denk, one of the zookeepers at the sanctuary. After that, she would be housed alone in a settling-in enclosure. Should she develop sympathy with other bears, Gaia could move in with one of them. "You can tell by the eye contact," says Denk. Gaia would be the first animal from the wild to find a new home on the farm. The other bears are all from captivity with poor husbandry.
Bear Rescue Station
The idea came from the now deceased Munich lawyer and TV presenter Andreas Grasmüller
In 1993 he founded the trade union for animals, first there was a farm animal sanctuary in Germering
When Grasmüller saw a circus bear with a nose ring that had to walk on hot tar, the sanctuary for bears was added, the zookeeper continues
It started with the purchase of the former Bundeswehr site in Bad Füssing in 2004, and a few years later the first bear Franzi moved in
The sanctuary is financed by donations
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Female bears kept in a small cage - They have space again at the Bavarian sanctuary
The bears Aurora and Ledia had lived in Albania in a cage with a concrete floor, which was only now square meters in size. On the grounds of the sanctuary, each bear has a good 7000 square meters at its disposal. They could "really be bears" there again, says Denk. However, a bear that has lived in the wild could also perceive this as small and develop so-called stereotypical behavior. This means, for example, constant circulation or head weighing. Underemployment and lack of space are particularly bad for bears, Denk continues.
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None of the animals in the sanctuary had an easy past life. Tibor comes from Spain. The fact that he was a circus bear can be seen from the fact that he often stands on two legs. Bear Laima from Lithuania lived for years near a hotel and restaurant in a cage. For the amusement of the guests, she was doused with beer and fed with rolls soaked in liquor. In Bad Füssing, she became friends with Ben the bear. According to the information, this is the last circus bear in Germany. He had been confiscated by the Deggendorf district office and brought to the sanctuary in 2016.
In Bad Füssing there is a sanctuary for bears. © Uwe Lein/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++
Bears are usually cautious - humans should keep calm when encountering them
In the wild, bears can be particularly dangerous when they have cubs, Denk explains. People need to learn to be mindful outdoors, "not lost in thought with headphones". In areas where there are many bears, it might be better to leave the territory to nature, the zookeeper considers. "Man is always trying to control everything."
In the wild, the bears are usually cautious and avoid humans, as the Bavarian State Office for the Environment (LfU) writes. An animal approaches settlements especially when it has learned that it can find food there. That's why people shouldn't leave any leftovers outdoors. When encountering a bear, it is important to keep calm. (came)
Once again, a bear was spotted in Upper Bavaria. A wildlife camera had captured this. This worries local residents. You can always read all the news from all over Bavaria with us. News and stories from Bavaria can also be found on our Facebook page Merkur Bayern.