10/01/2026
WHAT DOES A BEAR DO AFTER 34 YEARS IN CAPTIVITY?
Last week, we helped rescue this bear, Stana. Now she’s having her first taste of loving care in decades.
When Stana and her sister Mara were cubs, they lived with their mom in the forest of Serbia. They were learning how to fish, where to take shelter from the rain and where to find the best berries. The lessons had only just begun when a hunter killed their mother. He had their mom taxidermied as a 'trophy'. It's hard to fathom how a person could be so heartless. In the cruelest of ironies, the cubs grew up with the very man who killed their mother. They depended on him for their survival for many, many years.
It wasn't until four years ago that authorities finally found the two cubs (now all grown up) and took them to Palic Zoo. Mara passed away there last year, leaving her sister Stana as the last surviving member of their clan.
Last week, thanks to all of you, everything changed for Stana. We helped get Stana to the ARKA Sanctuary in Banostar where she could finally experience freedom. She explored, ate fresh fruit, and stepped into her pool to feel the water on her body. Glorious experiences!
As late afternoon stretched into the evening of that first day, Stana began to dig into the earth. She made a depression in the ground, just large enough to cradle her body. She gathered dry grass and adjusted everything to her liking. She had not lived in the forest since she was a cub, but she remembered what to do. That night, for the first time in 34 years, she slept beneath the stars in a slumber of complete peace. We like to think that her mom and sister watched with love from their own blanket of stars.
Whatever the number of years she has left in this world, Stana will live with dignity and kindness thanks to each amazing supporter of Harmony Fund.
The Bears NEED You! - HELP US FEED & RESCUE THE BEARS!!!
We have two more bears in need of rescue this fall, and a huge monthly cost to supply fresh fruits and vegetables to the rescued bears monthly. Please, please, will you become a bear hero? We're hoping to find at least 20 people to enroll giving $20 a month to help care for the bears. If you are one of the 20 - please raise your hand in the comments below so we can thank you!
To Donate: Visit Our BEAR Giving Page: https://harmonyfund.org/donation/bear-hugs/
