Zărneşti Bear Sanctuary

Info

The bear sanctuary is located in Zărneşti, Braşov County. In order to understand the importance of this reserve, you can watch a short film explaining its importance at the beginning of your tour. In the sanctuary you can watch the bears from a subterranean observation point and from the Wild Photography platform. In front of each enclosure there is an information board about the bears who are located there and the date when they became residents of the reserve.

Opening hours: Summer: Tuesday to Sunday has tours at 09:00, 10:00 and 11:00. Winter: Tuesday to Sunday has tours at 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00. During the winter the tour at 10:00 is done only if the number of people is at least up to 10. There is only guided tour.

Please note that for groups larger than 15 people you have to make an appointment.

Please note that children under 5 years old are NOT allowed in the sanctuary!

Contact: 0040 268 471 202 or 0040 722 533 895 (from 9:00 - 16:00): milioanedeprieteni@gmail.com

Entrance fee: Yes

Oficial site here

 

Discover

The bear sanctuary in Zărneşti, near Braşov was established in 2005, with the first bears being brought here a year later. On the 69 ha reserve there are 11 forested enclosures, each with its own pool and fresh water sources.

The bears brought here are rescued from different places where they were held captive and used to entertain (zoos, circus, restaurants etc).

The Bear Sanctuary’s mascot is Maya the bear, who suffered a tragic fate, dying in 2002 after being rescued by the volunteers from the reserve. The large area of the reserve can now be visited by train which has different stops in order to admire close-up the bears’ behaviour in the new habitat.

Did you know?

The LiBEARty sanctuary is the first and only nature reserve in Romania with captive bears and at the same time one of the largest in Europe.

Conservation facts

The reserve was set up at the initiative of World Animal Protection (WAP), “Milioane de Prieteni” Association (AMP) from Braşov and the Zărneşti city hall.

The sanctuary is considered by specialists to be very well organized with the bears having all the conditions of a quiet life and the chance to (re)learn the natural environment.

Bear lovers have the chance to adopt a bear, the money collected from these adoptions being used for the care of the bear throughout a year (food, treatment etc). In return they receive a framed adoption certificate.

The reserve's efforts were acknowledged by the public in 2014 when it was awarded with the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.

Weather


Thursday
-2°C

Saturday
2°C

Sunday
3°C
Activities