Martha, the Brown Bear, Is Rescued and Given a New Home After 17 Years in Captivity in Ukraine

A bear who spent her entire life in captivity is finally getting a taste of freedom.

Martha is a 17-year-old brown bear who spent the first years of her life in a circus in Ukraine. She later became a tourist attraction for a restaurant.

There, Martha was kept in a small concrete enclosure and was not fed well, according to the animal welfare group Four Paws.

Four Paws was finally able to remove Martha from her cage. They tranquilized her and brought her to a temporary enclosure,  where she was given a thorough veterinary examination.

The vets determined she had problems with her teeth and her digestive system.

Martha was then taken to a bear sanctuary in Ukraine, joining nearly 30 other rescued bears.

And perhaps that number will grow. Four Paws estimates there are as many as 80 more bears in private captivity in Ukraine.

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