Bony's second life

Bony and Glasha bears will have had a chance that many animals will not have. They were fortunate to be placed in shelters and able to benefit from adequate care. They can now move freely, in a new environment that better matches the physiological needs of the bears than in their old home. These two old bears, exploited in particular in circuses and medieval fairs, will no longer have to live this life of ordeal and constraints. The French state has not definitively confiscated these two bears from their trainers, but they can dream that - perhaps - in a while, they will go to specialized sanctuaries. Today, they can fully realize that the life of exploitation that they led until then is over.

Bony is at the Refuge de l'Arche, while Glasha lives at the Alternativer Wolf- und Bärenpark Schwarzwald (in Germany). For weeks, they have been forgotten about the Micha affair. Micha this ill-developed bear has become, in a very short time, a real symbol of animals in captivity in France. We could compare the media coverage of the Micha affair to that of the Mayan elephant and the runner-up Femke. Just as Maya put her companions Nelly and Brigit in the background, and Femke did with her companions in the basin, Bony and Glasha lived in the same conditions as Micha. Thus, it will not be until his death that they can be sent to a new life. We are happy that these bears can find peace in magical places, but we especially think of Mina who was not so lucky.

A few days ago, we had the chance to chat with a person who went to the Refuge de l'Arche and she shared with us many photographs of Bony, in his new enclosure. Whether it was not our joy, seeing this bear exploring its new terrain, immersing itself in water, walking on expanses of greenery or even rubbing its back against tree trunks... These gestures, which should have been daily, surely were not where he lived before. And of course, nothing will ever erase what he experienced or his exploitation, but here, Bony will no longer suffer. He, who before arriving at the Refuge, suffered from dental pain...

But for Bony and Glasha, this life may not be eternal. The trainers will have the possibility of recovering the animals, if the latter prove that they can take care of them financially and that they are ready to carry out the adequate minimum arrangements. We hope, however, that their humans will make the decision to let them flourish in their new life. In the meantime, we have sent a letter to also request the placement of Mina, who still lives with them. We hope that the best decision for the welfare of the animals will be found and that the latter will allow them to gain sanctuaries...