Jambolina, the loneliest bear in the world and locked up in a circus for life, is free!

The poor bear had spent her entire life in a cage. She was only let out to perform at the circus but she is now finally free

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

His story recalls that of Kaavan, the loneliest bear in the world, who had spent his entire life in captivity before being released thanks to the contribution of Cher. This time the protagonist is a bear, locked up in a Ukrainian circus and finally free.

Her name is Jambolina and she is 11 years old. The poor bear has spent her entire life in a cage. She was only let out to perform at the circus. But in recent days she was rescued by the animal rights organization Four Paws. Her cage, crammed into a sort of garage, had been her only home but on Tuesday the volunteers of the international association brought her to safety, after a 2400 km long journey to a beautiful Swiss reserve, Arosa Bear Land.

Although Four Paws has a rescue center in Ukraine, it currently hosts 22 other bears so the charity contacted the Swiss reserve for help. Here Jambolina met her likes for the first time.

The animal had literally been used as a circus bear since it was purchased a few weeks after its birth in January 2009 from the Yalta Zoo in the Crimea. His public performances have been canceled since March of this year due to the coronavirus. Since the start of the pandemic she has been locked up in a cage where she also struggled to move and suffered from lack of exercise and boredom.

At least until Four Paws discovered her sad life and decided to save her from captivity. After a four-day journey in which she has crossed Poland, Germany and Austria, Jambolina has reached her new home surrounded by greenery and can finally live with her similar ones.

“Transporting a bear across four national and two EU borders is a big challenge, even more so with COVID-19. We had to ensure Jambolina's well-being at all times while a lot of paperwork and checks were required for the logistical part of the relocation, ”explains Barbara van Genne, Four Paws' Wildlife Rescue and Defense Manager.

According to Four Paws, Jambolina's breeding conditions were far from suitable for the species and this had a negative impact on her health. His teeth are in poor condition and his claws need further examination.

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For the time being, it will remain in an adaptation enclosure so that it can gradually get used to life in freedom and natural rhythms, including that of hibernation:

“Through a targeted distribution of food, he will get used to the rhythm of hibernation and hopefully regain his natural instinct,” concludes Van Genne.

The Arosa reserve was delighted to welcome Jambolina and offer her a new home. Not only the shrine team but the locals cheered for her as well.

Good life Jambolina!

Sources of reference: Four Paws