When the grid opens! (Video)

She waited to be rescued for 30 long years. Fifi, a Syrian brown bear, spent her first 10 years performing at a roadside zoo in Pennsylvania. Her purpose in life was to only entertain people so that the zoo owners could make more money. Fifi was forced to perform tricks and was never treated with any care or respect — they gave her bad food and was forced to live under horrific conditions. When the hell-like zoo was finally shut down, instead of releasing Fifi, they did something terrible. She was left behind in her tiny cage. For the next 20 years, she and three other bears were locked in their barren, concrete cells at the abandoned attraction.

They never set foot outside, let alone engaged in natural behaviors like running or swimming. Last summer, Fifi’s owner finally decided to give the bears up. An animal rights organization call PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) was notified and rushed to the scene. What they found was heartbreaking. She was in bad shape — she was physically weak and malnourished. To make matters worse, Fifi had arthritis which had been left untreated and she had never been allowed to hibernate – an important natural ritual for healthy bears. The rescue team wasn’t sure if the 32-year-old bear could make it. But they knew they had to try, and relocated her to the Wild Animal Sanctuary’s Colorado reserve.

Her extraordinary transformation!

In her first few months, she received a proper diet for the first time in her life. She had room to run and finally felt the grass beneath her feet, returning at last to a semblance of the natural life she should have had all those years ago.  And she quickly proved everyone’s fears wrong. Within months, a proper diet and space to run free had sparked a remarkable change in the once-ailing bear. After her decades-long wait, Fifi is finally getting the life – and sleep – she deserves. We are thrilled to see how big and beautiful Fifi is. Watch the video to see how Fifi looks today and the transformation she has gone through. She truly is a wonderful being!