Bear the wolf was not enjoying a happy life. A gray wolf, this naturally social creature lived all alone in a chain-link enclosure with a concrete floor, hardly a place for a wild animal.
But that was life at the Animaland Zoological Park, a former zoo and roadside attraction in Pennsylvania. In addition to Bear, the zoo also housed a Siberian tiger, monkeys, black bears, and a number of other wild animals who were not being provided for in the best ways, according to animal rights lawyers and activists.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit against the zoo, stating, "Animaland has repeatedly failed to meet even the most minimal requirements for proper care of animals under the federal Animal Welfare Act, and inspection reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed more than 60 violations in recent years."
That meant things weren't looking good for the zoo as a business, but it also meant that the cramped, bored, and lonely animals had someone fighting on their side.
And ultimately, it meant that they would be brought to new homes where they could live, play, and frolic outdoors just as nature intended.
And for Bear, that meant not only a new home, but also a whole new family. He would be moving to the Wolf Sanctuary of Pennsylvania, where wolves born into captivity like Bear can live in peace.
Read on to see his incredible rescue.
[H/T: The Dodo]
Bear the gray wolf spent his life here, in a pen with a concrete floor and no company. Gray wolves are deeply social animals, and need a pack, or at the very least a companion, to fulfill their lives.
But at the Animaland Zoological Park, a roadside attraction near Scranton, Pennsylvania, Bear didn't have access to either.
He spent his time in this cage with nothing to do.
And he wasn't the only one. Despite laws in place prohibiting "zoos" from keeping animals in cages like this, there were many other animals living like this at Animaland, including two black bears.
Bear hadn't seen another wolf in years, and he was listless and depressed.
What he didn't know, though, was that there were people fighting for him and the rest of the animals here.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) had filed a suit against the zoo, citing numerous violations of animal welfare.
And the ALDF won!
Following the suit, Animaland was shut down, but that meant that the wild animals there, including Bear, had to be rehomed.
Luckily, the ALDF stuck by their sides, and coordinated new homes for everyone.
Bear was taken to the Wolf Sanctuary of Pennsylvania, which provides permanent homes for wolves and wolf hybrids who cannot, for whatever reason, return to the wild.
They also provide education on wolves, wolf-dogs, and wolf habitats to the public.
And it would be where Bear would get to meet other wolves for the first time in years.
"The animals at Animaland were suffering, and the zoo was breaking the law," explains Stephen Wells, executive director of ALDF.
"We are happy to have helped these long-suffering animals and find habitats that meet their needs as wild animals, and that they are finally free from their cramped and dilapidated quarters at Animaland."
The other animals were transported to sanctuaries where they would be comfortable and in the care of dedicated professionals.
The Siberian tiger, as well as several other Animaland residents, went to T&D's Cats of the World, which takes in mistreated wildlife. The black bears went to a rescue in San Antonio, Texas.
And Bear will spend his days in the outdoors, exploring the woods and playing with the other wolves. After settling in, he may even find a special companion who will stick with him.
He'll get to finally experience companionship, care, and family with other rescued wolves like these two, and, as ALDF puts it, "the earth beneath his paws."
If you'd like to make sure wolves, as well as other animals, like Bear can have peaceful and safe homes, consider donating to ALDF so they can continue their work.
You can also support the Wolf Sanctuary and T&D's Cats right on their websites.
And to make sure more animals can be saved from unacceptable conditions, SHARE Bear's story with everyone you know!
