A ‘Happily Ever After’ Ending for Ben the Bear

After a long and hard-fought battle by PETA, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), and concerned citizens, “Ben the Bear” has been rescued from abhorrent conditions at a North Carolina roadside zoo and will now live out the rest of his life at the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), a beautiful accredited wildlife sanctuary in northern California.

Before his relocation, Ben spent six long years imprisoned at Jambbas Ranch. Deemed nothing more than “Attraction no. 2” and locked away in a small kennel, Ben was deprived of even the most basic necessities. His world consisted of nothing more than a barren 12-foot-by-22-foot concrete floor and a chain-link fence with an old bowling ball and some moldy stumps of wood. He was fed dry dog food, which his “caretakers” dumped onto the same concrete floor where he urinated and defecated. His interaction with others was limited to being gawked at by passersby, listening to screaming children, and getting the occasional piece of bread tossed to him by a tourist.

Ben spent his waking hours pacing, a result of profound deprivation and a sign of chronic distress. Two concerned citizens saw him and agreed to take action. With our help, they filed a cruelty-to-animals lawsuit. Their case was heard by Cumberland County Court District Judge Kimbrell Tucker, who saw that the evidence was clear: Ben’s needs were “not being met dietarily, veterinarily, and, most importantly, environmentally.” The judge stated that Ben’s enclosure did “not meet the requirements … for this bear’s health and well-being.” She issued a preliminary injunction that allowed PETA and ALDF to transfer Ben to California pending her final ruling in the case. A happy day!

FedEx immediately agreed to help fly Ben across the country for free. His safety and comfort were essential, and PETA made sure that he traveled in climate-controlled transport trucks to and from the airport and was accompanied by a transport team—veterinary expert Mel Richardson, Ed Stewart from PAWS Sanctuary, and PETA attorney Carney Anne Chester—throughout the trip. The flight crew cheerfully dubbed their mission “Bear Force One.”

When Ben explored his vast new, spacious habitat for the first time, he pawed at and smelled the ground—likely the first time he had ever felt grass beneath his paws. Within minutes, he was already bathing and splashing in his own pool, ridding his body of grime for the first time in years. That night, he slept soundly on a comfortable bed of fresh hay and natural foliage.

On August 27, the court ruled in Ben’s favor, and thanks to the judge and all those who worked hard to make it happen, the sanctuary is now his permanent home. Ben will continue to bask in the sun, roll in the grass, splash in the water, and act on his natural instincts to forage, explore, and hibernate in a 2-acre habitat designed especially for him. For the first time, Ben will finally get to live like a bear.

Ben’s rescue would not have been possible without the support of caring PETA supporters like you! Please help us save more animals by supporting PETA’s Investigations & Rescue Fund today.

Photos

Browse the photos below for a glimpse into Ben’s heartbreaking life at Jambbas Ranch and the eventual triumph of justice after a court ordered that he be transferred to a sanctuary.

At Jambbas, Ben was held in this barren cage, where he constantly paced back and forth and pushed and chewed at his cage walls—all forms of abnormal behavior called “stereotypies,” caused by a lack of mental stimulation. He was frequently seen pawing at the fence when visitors were present, which a bear expert explained was his way of asking to be let out.

Concerned citizens, with the support of PETA and the Animal Legal Defense Fund, sought relief for the suffering bear.

Judge Kimbrell Tucker found that Ben’s needs were “not being met dietarily, veterinarily, and, most importantly, environmentally” and called Ben’s enclosure at Jambbas “a 12-by-22 concrete chain link fence dog run” that did “not meet the requirements … for this bear’s health and well-being.”

With the assistance of FedEx, Ben was transported across the country in climate-controlled safety and accompanied by the transport team to his new sanctuary home. The flight crew dubbed their mission “Bear Force One.”

At PAWS, Ben’s habitat provides an enriched environment that is designed to replicate a wild bear habitat. He can finally engage in normal bear behavior, like foraging, playing, climbing, exploring, digging, nesting, denning, swimming, bathing, and hibernating.