Bear Sanctuary

In the Carpathian Mountains in Romania, animal charity WSPA are building Europes largest Sanctuary for Brown Bears. Sanctuary staff are horrified by the conditions when they arrive at a small zoo to rescue two bears that have been in captivity for nearly thirty years. Back at the sanctuary a young cub, Miro, has been brought in in need of care and attention.

Looking at the bears behaving naturally in the sanctuary, it's hard to imagine where they've come from. They have all endured horrid conditions, but it was the plight of the two bears Christie and Lydia that inspired the formation of the Bear Sanctuary.

Big male bear Martinico has recovered from his operation and is all set to be released. But the Bear Sanctuary team has trouble persuading him to join the other bears living in the forest enclosure. Team member Marianna heads to a monastery to try and persuade the monks to allow their captive bear to be freed.

The Bear Sanctuary team travel to a monastery to free a captive bear. But will the monks let it go? Back at the sanctuary, work on a second large enclosure to house more freed bears is well underway, but the authorities have frozen all bear movements because of wild bear attacks in the neighbourhood.

While the rescued bears are preparing for hibernation, the sanctuary workers are laboring to renovate their enclosures. New restrictions mean that until better security is in place, no more bears can be brought to the sanctuary.

Winter is over and the government has finally given permission to start moving bears out of quarantine. Meanwhile Rudi, a four month old cub must be cared for. He was brought into the Sanctuary during the winter after being found alone and hungry. Now he is drinking 12 bottles of milk a day!