Born in 2001, Mura, a female European brown bear, was used by a Romanian circus as a performing bear. She was made to ride a bicycle and to walk on her hind paws, wearing a child’s dress. When she was not performing in the circus arena she lived in a small and dirty cage. In 2006 Mura refused to perform any more and suffered privations and starving. But eventually the director of the circus felt sorry for the bear and called the bear sanctuary to ask if they would take Mura.
Cristina Lapis, the President of the Association “Millions of Friends”, took Mura and ensured that the circus agreed never to use any bears in the future. Mura was taken from the Globus Circus in Bucharest in March 2006 and was released into the main forest enclosure in October 2006 She adapted very hard to her new life, to liberty, and with the other rescued bears but now she spends a lot of time climbing trees and munching on the grass and vegetation in the sanctuary.
