A poor bear, who has had to live the most hard existence a wild animal can have, finally celebrates her moment of freedom. Cholita, the bear, returns to the outdoors after spending over 20 years in a circus, where she had the saddest existence, and her reaction is spectacular!
When the now 25-year-old spectacled bear (an endangered species) was a cub, the struggle started. Cholita was taken from her mother and required to work in a circus in Peru. She has been forced to live in small cages ever then, and the only way she can get out is to perform for people. Worse, she was subjected to horrible a.b.u.s.e during her time there. She still bears the wounds of her terrible life decades later.
When officials found that the circus was operating illegally, all of the animals were evacuated, offering the bereaved bear a glimmer of hope. Cholita, on the other hand, was not given the opportunity to experience freedom since she was transferred from the circus to a zoo, and all hope seemed to be lost for the a.b.a.n.d.o.n.e.d animal.
After Jan Creamer, president of Animal Defenders International (ADI), accidently learned about Cholita’s tale ten years later, everything changed. Creamer was passionate about finding her a better home, and he didn’t stop until the bear was free. Cholita was first transferred to an ADI rescue center before being transported to her final destination, the Taricaya Ecological Reserve, which she may call home because it is a natural habitat for spectacled bears.
After a four-day journey, Cholita has arrived at his new home. A home where she may live peacefully and fully till the end of her days. In the video below, Cholita takes her first steps toward freedom.