Baloo

Help save Baloo: a bear trapped in a cage for the last 23-years

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Baloo the bear has been locked up in a cage at a ski resort in Romania under horrific conditions for 23 years. But together with our supporters around the world, we are working to rescue Baloo from this nightmare.

Baloo was found injured as a cub in the Romanian wilderness and was taken in by park rangers for medical care. However, instead of being released back into the wild, Baloo ended up as private property of a ski resort. Despite a 2005 ban by the Romanian government on private individuals keeping bears, enforcement of the law has been lax, resulting in the bear's ongoing confinement. 

Baloo has been living on display in a tiny cage next to a ski lift and is poorly cared for. He is fed cornflakes and lemonade, sometimes even alcohol to drink, and children frequently poke him through the bars of the cage with sticks. This is no life for a bear.  

Join us in our efforts to liberate Baloo from a lifetime of misery by signing the petition now!  

Free Baloo!

Baloo in his cage at a ski resort

Baloo confined in his cage at a Romanian ski resort (Photo ©Jasper Doest)

Animal protection organizations have been trying for years to free Baloo with no success. But fortunately, a petition started by Dutch television host, Floortje Dessing, is drawing much needed global attention to his cause. Floortje’s show “Floortje gaat mee” ("Floortje Goes Along" in English), explores the complex relationships between humans and animals. In the episode, she shows first-hand the distressing conditions Baloo faces. 

Together, we can free Baloo from this suffering. 

Baloo would find a warm welcome at Libearty bear sanctuary – an expansive haven spanning 69-hectares of forest, meadows, and ponds. It is the perfect new home for Baloo.  

At Libearty, Baloo would have the chance to live in peace, with the best care and in a natural environment where he can recover from his traumatic life. He would join 119 other formerly abused bears who now call this sanctuary their home. 

Help us put the pressure on the Romanian government to free Baloo from suffering and transfer him to this sanctuary immediately. 

Free Baloo!

 Baloo confined in his cage at a Romanian ski resort

Baloo in his cage at a Romanian ski resort (Photo ©Jasper Doest) 

Around the world, hundreds of thousands of wild animals remain confined in captivity for human entertainment. Usually separated from their mothers at an early age, and often subjected to cruel training methods to force them to perform tricks, and typically kept in appalling living conditions, these animals suffer immensely. 

Baloo is one of them.  

You can help Baloo today by signing the petition and giving a gift that will make a difference for bears and other wild animals trapped in a life of cruelty and suffering.  

Donate now

Through a collaborative effort, step by step, animal by animal, corporation by corporation, and regulation by regulation, we will continue to advocate for these animals' welfare. One by one, we can make a difference. 

Banner photos ©Jasper Doest 

Free Baloo from a life of suffering

Sign this petition urging the Romanian government to move Baloo to the Libearty Bear Sanctuary immediately.

Bear sanctuaries

These sites offer large natural habitats and expert care for rescued bears to live out their lives in peace.

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