After visiting Libearty Bear Sanctuary in Brasov, Romania earlier this year - which is the largest in the world and home to over 130 bears - we were so touched by the bears' stories and the struggles to rescue them that we felt inspired to help!

These bears have been rescued by the organisation Millions of Friends from circuses, private owners, restaurants and tourist attractions. The bears are now living a life away from harm in the 69 hectares of oak forest, with trees where the bears can climb, swimming pools where they can splash, food according to their diets studied by veterinarians as well as the necessary medical care needed. The sanctuary relies heavily on donations from visitors - as you can imagine it is not cheap looking after so many bears!

During August, we are going to swim the length of the Channel (21 miles) between us at our local swimming pool to raise money for these beautiful animals. We chose swimming as bears naturally love swimming!

All money donated will be sent directly to the charity via bank transfer. These donations will help feed the bears, offer them needed medical treatment, take care of the forest, maintain the facilities such as the pools, fences and access roads and also rescuing bears still living in captivity. The Libearty Bear Sanctuary does not receive any financial support from the Romanian authorities, so it survives through the help of those who visit and donate. Your donation towards our sponsored swim will help this great organisation keep vulnerable bears safe.

https://millionsoffriends.org/en/libearty/about-the-sanctuary/