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Bobbi Brink, Founder and Director of Lions Tigers & Bears, announced her departure to lead a rescue and multi-state relocation of nine bears. The animals will travel from three locations in Ohio to reputable sanctuaries in multiple states across the United States. During the three-week trip beginning June 2th, Brink will remove seven bears from two private residences and two that have been anonymously surrendered.

Seven of the nine bears will receive a physical, blood work, stool sampling, a dental check-up, vaccinations, microchip and any other basic medical attention that can be done while the bear is sedated.

Five bears will be placed at Spirit of the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in Spearfish, South Dakota; two will be taken to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado; one bear will reside at San Antonio Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Kendalia, Texas; and one bear, Maddie, will make the cross-country trip with Bobbi Brink to Lions Tigers & Bears in Alpine, California.

Prior to being rescued by the current owner, six of the bears lived in deplorable conditions. For several years now, they have lived in cages that are five feet tall, 15 feet wide and 30 feet long. The three female black bears (approximately 11, 12 and 12 years old ) and the three male black bears (approximately 7, 9 and 9 years old) have never had open space to run or play, and will now be given the gift of a better life at the sanctuaries.

The owner says that because of his age and health he is downsizing and wants to make better accommodations for his cats; therefore he felt the best option was to find new homes for the bears.

The 12-year-old female black bear known as Maddie in Covington, Ohio was purchased as a family pet. When she grew too large to play with, the family planned to sell her to a game hunt ranch before the current owner stepped in to save her. The bear is currently living in a ‘double corn crib' that is approximately 20 feet tall by 20 feet wide and has never lived with enough space to run or play. The two anonymously surrendered bears will come from Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Both the black bear and Asiatic bear, genders and ages unknown, have received necessary medical procedures and they are now awaiting their transfer by the Lions Tigers & Bears team.

The Lions Tigers & Bears team, veterinarian Dr. Gwen Myers and her veterinary technician are treating each bear with the assumption that they have never had any proper medical attention from a vet. Each bear's true medical history is unknown, due to the lack of medical paperwork available. Two bears from Prospect, Ohio will need neutering and one will need dermatological work on his skin to assess if his hair loss is environmental or stress related. Tests will also be done to confirm the absence of any infections that could affect the bears at their new homes.

Additionally, Brink will participate in the International Federation of Animal Wildlife's (IFAW) press conference on July 2 in Columbus, Ohio, to discuss the nationwide issue of first responders not being trained or equipped to handle emergency calls involving captive wild or exotic animals. When such situations occur, sanctuary owners are often called in to relocate the animals from private residences before police or emergency personnel can enter the scene.

And they're off! Bobbi and the Lions Tigers & Bears Rescue Team leave for Ohio to rescue nine bears in need! One very lucky bear, Maddie, will come back to Lions Tigers & Bears to live out the rest of her happy bear life. The other eight bears await new homes throughout America!

Rescuing bears is no easy job! The Lions Tigers & Bears Rescue Team made it to New Mexico yesterday, and just reached Texas mid-day today. The hauler is temperature-controlled for the bears' comfort. With temperatures reaching 108° yesterday in the desert, it will be very important for the bears to have a cool ride to their new homes.

Over the weekend, the Lions Tigers & Bears Rescue Team arrived in Ohio late last night. Medical examinations for the bears have begun today. As far as we know, none of these bears have had any proper medical attention. Each bear will receive a basic physical, stool sample, baseline blood work, a dental check-up, vaccinations, and microchip implant - - all the basics we can do while each one is sedated. Two male bears will be neutered, a necessary procedure before taking them to their new home to live with other bears. We can't thank you enough for helping us make this happen! We could not provide these bears with the medical attention they need without your generous donations!

The Lions Tigers & Bears team has had a busy couple of days! Yesterday, the team completed medical evaluations and procedures on six bears in Ohio. Today, Bobbi Brink spoke at the International Fund for Animal Welfare's press conference in Columbus, Ohio. The team is on their way to South Dakota and will travel for the next few days, until they arrive at Spirit of the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary.

Today, the Lions Tigers & Bears team is on the road to South Dakota to bring six bears from Ohio to their new home. They stopped along the way for fresh fruits, veggies and granola bars for the bears. These bears will be well-fed in our care!

The Lions Tigers & Bears team has had a busy weekend! They traveled from Ohio through Indiana and Illinois to South Dakota. The Lions Tigers & Bears team delivered six bears to Spirit of The Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, where the bears are happily munching on healthy snacks and getting accustomed to their new surroundings.
The team is back in Ohio to pick up three bears, and will be off to Texas later this week!

The Lions Tigers & Bears Rescue Team had an exciting day today. They arrived at Maddie's home in Ohio; coaxed Maddie out of her enclosure; gave her a check-up with the vet, including a basic physical, baseline blood work, dental check-up, vaccinations, microchip and stool sampling; then loaded Maddie into the hauler. The team will head out to Texas to deliver one of the bears from a previous pick-up earlier this week, and Maddie will come back to San Diego with the Lions Tigers & Bears team.

We hit the road…and the road hit us back! The Lions Tigers & Bears team dealt with a flat tire on their road trip home to San Diego! The team is currently headed to Texas to deliver Preston, a surrendered bear from Ohio, to the San Antonio Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation sanctuary in Kendalia, Texas.

Meanwhile, we would like to thank Maddie's previous owner, Kim - one of Lions Tigers & Bears' angels. It took a ton of courage to do what she did by relinquishing her animal. Thank you, Kim, for doing what's best for Maddie!

The Lions Tigers & Bears Rescue Team delivered Preston to San Antonio Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary today. Preston sure seemed happy in his temporary enclosure. He scratched his back on the fence posts and rolled around in the grass. Next, the Lions Tigers & Bears team heads to Colorado to deliver the last two bears before making the trip back to San Diego with Maddie, Lions Tigers & Bears's newest rescue, in tow.

Today, the Lions Tigers & Bears team delivered two bears to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado. The bears, Boo Boo and Dewey, will reside in their temporary enclosure before being released to roam acres of hills and grass with the other bears at the sanctuary.

The team arrived at the sanctuary with Maddie; the 390-pound black bear will live out the rest of her life here at Lions Tigers & Bears. Maddie will spend some time in our quarantine area, which is a standard procedure for any new animal entering the sanctuary. Since Maddie has parasites, she is being treated with antibiotics. Once she has a clean bill of health, she will move over to the large habitat with our other black bears.

Maddie was originally bought as a family pet and was going to be sold for less than $200 to a game ranch before a friend stepped in to take her. Even though the friend saved Maddie from sure death, she was kept in a 20-foot by 20-foot double corn crib, was fed dog food and Mountain Dew for several years, and never had space to run or play. Now, she will live in a beautiful five-acre habitat with a pond, grass, rolling hills, and natural features. She will be fed a healthy diet fit for a bear and will get to exercise with the other bears.