The story of the Libearty Bear Sanctuary Zarnesti begins in 2005, when the Millions of Friends Association signed a public-private partnership with the Town Hall of Zărneşti, through which they received a 49 years concession for the necessary land to build the “Libearty” sanctuary.
WAP (World Animal Protection) joined these efforts in the “Save the Captive Bear” Project – the largest project in Europe for the rescue, care and welfare of the brown bear.
Over 130 bears have been rescued from an abusive nightmare life, in tiny cages compared to the necessary space these animals need, being prisoners behind rusty bars and cement under their paws, instead of grass.Until they arrived to the sanctuary, some of them didn’t even knew what it was like to climb a tree, to hide from the sun in the hot days, or to enjoy a deeper water for a bath. Many of them were kept in cages near restaurants, hotels, guesthouses, near cottages and gas stations, as tourist attractions. There have also been cases of someone’s “immeasurable love” who, instead of letting them live in their natural environment, preferred to keep them behind bars. Libearty Bear Sanctuary Zarnesti has 69 hectares of oak forest, with trees where the bears can climb, swimming pools where they can splash, food according to their diets studied by the veterinarians and the necessary medical care.
Find out here if a visit to the bears matches your… tourist style!
You can visit the Libearty sanctuary from Tuesday to Sunday. On Mondays it’s always closed for maintenance!
Children under five years are not allowed inside the “Libearty” Bear Sanctuary, for safety reasons, for the smooth running of the visit and for the welfare of the bears. Please be prepared to provide a document certifying the age of the children.
The sanctuary can only be visited with guided tours conducted in Romanian and / or English. The tours take place with groups of maximum 40 people. The visiting schedule varies depending on the season. Please view the visiting times specific to each period of the year.
The most important for us is the animal welfare, therefore we will always do our best to protect them and provide them comfort.
The main PURPOSE of the Sanctuary visits is educational. Please pay attention to the “Visiting Rules” section!
Do you like Libearty Bear Sanctuary? Read an article about The last wild horses in Europe – Letea Forest
