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Sponsorships for animalsOur brown bears and ruffed bears
The female brown bears and the two male ruffed bears have been with us at the Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center since 2019 after the lease on the Anholt Bear Sanctuary expired and the bears were looking for a new home. The female ruffed bear Malvina joined us from Ukraine in 2022.
Our three brown bears (Masha, Maya & Ronja) and the three ruffed bears (Balou, Malvina & Serenus) need reliable supporters at their side. Tons of fresh food, dental check-ups and visits to the vet cause high costs. That's why we need you at our side: help us and sponsor our furs.
Check out our German-language website to become a sponsor
Our six bears introduce themselves in more detail here:
BalouCollar bear
Balou was rescued from a completely run-down zoo in 1998 at the age of two. In the outdoor enclosure in the Anholt Bear Sanctuary, he was able to lead an animal-friendly bear life for the first time. As the lease on the bear sanctuary expired in 2019, Balou moved with the other bears to our Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center. There, the bears have plenty of space, can lie in the sun on the meadow, hide under trees and hibernate in a cozy den.
Balou has mastered the complex move very well and feels very much at home in his new home, which he shares with his half-brother Serenus. Unlike Serenus, Balou doesn't like climbing and is also rather lazy when it comes to foraging. He always leaves the (thinking) work to his brother. Instead, he keeps a constant eye on the animal keepers and hopes for treats for which he doesn't have to do anything. His favorite place is the bunker roofs, where he can hide in the tall grass and still keep an eye on everything going on around him. His favorite food is an ice cream bomb with pieces of fruit and vegetables.
The animal keepers look after Balou with a lot of love and experience. For example, regular training is on the agenda for all bears: to check their teeth and claws if necessary without having to sedate the animals every time, the keepers train them to stand up on their hind legs and open their mouths. Balou helps diligently and is rewarded with bear treats.
Support our collar bear Balou with a sponsorship.
MalvinaCollar bear
Like many of our bears, Malvina has a sad and eventful past. Born in 2015, she lived for years cramped in a very small cage with a private collector in eastern Ukraine. After massive protests by local animal rights activists, Malvina was confiscated in 2020 and was placed with the Ukrainian organization "Safe Wild" near Kiev. She was already being lovingly nursed back to health there. But then war broke out and Malvina had to be evacuated quickly. Now she has found a bear-friendly and loving home for the rest of her life at our Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center.
In Weidefeld, the bears have plenty of space, can lie in the sun on the meadow, hide under trees and hibernate in a cosy den. Malvina's reunification with Serenus and Balou is going well, but is not yet complete.
Malvina is being looked after with a lot of love and experience by the animal keepers. For example, regular training is on the agenda for all bears: in order to check their teeth and claws if necessary without having to sedate the animals every time, the keepers train them to stand up on their hind legs and open their mouths. The animals are rewarded with bear treats for this. Malvina needs a lot of patience for this, as she is still at the very beginning of her training.
Malvina is always happy to have new sponsors - support Malvina with a sponsorship.
MashaBrown bear
Mascha was 16 years old when we were able to take her over from an unacceptable holding situation in a Thuringian zoo together with her sister Ronja in 2008. After many years of hardship, it was wonderful to see how Mascha and her sister conquered the large green outdoor enclosure in the Anholt Bear Sanctuary and were able to lead an animal-friendly bear life for the first time.
As the lease on the bear sanctuary expired, Masha and the other bears moved to our Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center in 2019. There, the bears have plenty of space, can lie in the sun on the meadow, hide under trees and hibernate in a cozy den.
Mascha has mastered the complex move very well and feels very comfortable in her new home. Mascha and her sister Ronja always stick together and are rarely seen alone. In contrast to her sister, Mascha is more reserved.
She particularly likes to find treats that the animal keepers hide for her, who provide her with lots of love and experience. For example, regular training is on the agenda for all bears: to check their teeth and claws if necessary without having to sedate the animals every time, the keepers train them to stand up on their hind legs and open their mouths. Masha helps diligently and is rewarded with bear treats.
Masha would be delighted if you would support her with a sponsorship .
MayaBrown bear
Maya was about 18 years old when we rescued her from a catastrophic situation in Lithuania in 2012 together with the International Bear Federation. She came to Lithuania via Russia as a cub and was kept there for over 15 years, locked up in a tiny concrete cage next to a restaurant as an "exhibit".
After many years of deprivation, it was wonderful to see Maya conquer the large green outdoor enclosure in the Anholt Bear Sanctuary and lead an animal-friendly bear life for the first time. As the lease on the bear sanctuary expired, Maya and the other bears moved to our Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center in 2019. There, the bears have plenty of space, can lie in the sun on the meadow, hide under trees and hibernate in a cozy den.
Maya has mastered the complex move very well and feels very comfortable in her new home. The zookeepers look after her with lots of love and experience.
For example, regular training is on the agenda for all bears: to check their teeth and claws if necessary without having to sedate the animals every time, the keepers train them to stand up on their hind legs and open their mouths. Maya helps diligently and is rewarded with bear treats.
Support Maya with a sponsorship.
RonjaBrown bear
Ronja was 16 years old when we were able to take her over from an unacceptable holding situation in a Thuringian zoo together with her sister Mascha in 2008. After many years of hardship, it was wonderful to see how Ronja and her sister conquered the large green outdoor enclosure in the Anholt Bear Sanctuary and were able to lead an animal-friendly bear life for the first time.
As the lease on the bear sanctuary expired, Ronja and the other bears moved to our Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center in 2019. There, the bears have plenty of space, can lie in the sun on the meadow, hide under trees and hibernate in a cozy den.
Ronja has coped well with the complicated move. She has shed her initial timidity and is now very relaxed. She feels very comfortable in her new home. She loves digging pits in the large outdoor enclosure. Sometimes she is moody and impatient. Her favorite foods are meat and avocados. Ronja and her sister Mascha get on really well and always stick together.
The animal keepers look after Ronja with lots of love and experience. For example, regular training is on the agenda for all bears: to check their teeth and claws if necessary without having to sedate the animals every time, the keepers train them to stand up on their hind legs and open their mouths. However, despite the treats that beckon as a reward, Ronja usually cannot be motivated to participate.
Support our brown bear Ronja with a sponsorship.
SerenusCollar bear
Serenus was born in 1999, shortly after his mother was rescued from a completely run-down zoo. As a bear cub, he conquered the large green outdoor enclosure in the Anholt Bear Sanctuary and - unlike his mother - was able to lead an animal-friendly bear life for the first time. As the lease on the bear sanctuary expired, Serenus and the other bears moved to our Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center in 2019. There, the bears have plenty of space, can lie in the sun on the meadow, hide under trees and hibernate in a cozy den.
Serenus has coped well with the complicated move and feels very much at home in his new home, which he now shares with his half-brother Balou. He particularly enjoys climbing trees or the climbing tower, from where he has everything in view. Serenus is very intelligent and is very cautious in the enclosure. Unlike Balou, he masters tricky food hiding places with ease. His favorite food is dandelion. Of the brothers, Serenus is the more superior and clearly more self-confident.
Serenus is looked after with a lot of love and experience by the animal keepers. For example, regular training is on the agenda for all the bears: to check their teeth and claws when necessary without having to sedate the animals every time, the keepers train them to stand up on their hind legs and open their mouths. Serenus helps diligently and is rewarded with bear treats.
Serenus is always happy to have new sponsors - support him with a sponsorship.