Name: Bear Sanctuary
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2011-01-01
Cast: Kenneth Cranham

2011 · 1 Season

TV-14

This series follows the work of the Bear Sanctuary team as they bring hope and a better life to bears rescued from terrible conditions in captivity in Romania. Its also the personal story of Christina Lapis, who has vowed to rescue all bears in Romania kept in cages as restaurant attractions, private zoo exhibits, or as circus performers. We follow the bears transformation as they are nursed back to health and then released into the seventy hectares of their new forest home at the WSPA sponsored Sanctua

Starring:Kenneth Cranham

Directed by:Richard Graveling Ashley Barker

S01:E01 - Episode 1

In the Carpathian Mountains in Romania, animal charity WSPA are building Europes largest Sanctuary for Brown Bears. Sanctuary staff are horrified by the conditions when they arrive at a small zoo to rescue two bears that have been in captivity for nearly thirty years. Back at the sanctuary a young cub, Miro, has been brought in in need of care and attention.

S01:E02 - Episode 2

A recently rescued bear has been nursed back to health and is ready to begin his new life in the Bear Sanctuary. Meanwhile plans are made to find orphan cub Miro some company.

S01:E03 - Episode 3

Big male bear Martinico has recovered from his operation and is all set to be released. But the Bear Sanctuary team has trouble persuading him to join the other bears living in the forest enclosure. Team member Marianna heads to a monastery to try and persuade the monks to allow their captive bear to be freed.

S01:E04 - Episode 4

The Bear Sanctuary team travel to a monastery to free a captive bear. But will the monks let it go? Back at the sanctuary, work on a second large enclosure to house more freed bears is well underway, but the authorities have frozen all bear movements because of wild bear attacks in the neighbourhood.

S01:E05 - Episode 5

The Bear Sanctuary team travel to a monastery to free a captive bear. Back at the sanctuary, work on a second enclosure for more freed bears is well underway.

S01:E06 - Episode 6

Winter is over and the government has finally given permission to start moving bears out of quarantine. Meanwhile Rudi, a four month old cub must be cared for. He was brought into the Sanctuary during the winter after being found alone and hungry. Now he is drinking 12 bottles of milk a day!

S01:E07 - Episode 7

Its the big day for the Sanctuarys best known resident Max. For years Max was kept chained to a railing near a restaurant for tourists to take photographs. Max cannot be out there in the forest enclosures with the rest of the bears because he is blind. A crack ophthalmology veterinary team from The UK have arrived to see how they can help.