Circus Bear Spends Entire Life In A Cage Before Selfless Heroes Decide They Must Help

Many countries have banned circuses from having wild animals in the big top, and while this is a step in the right direction, it leaves the fate of current animal residents unclear. This was the case for one bear who was living at a circus, held in a small concrete enclosure its whole life. When one rescue group heard about this story, they wanted to set this animal free. What they didn't know was that they were about to start a serious battle...

Meet Napa

A bear named Napa spent his whole life only knowing cages and concrete. Although he was originally born in a zoo, where he was able to roam within a vast enclosure, fate had other plans in store for the poor bear...

Forced Into The Spotlight

Napa was sold to a Serbian circus called Corona. At an age when other young bears would be exploring nature or at the very least their zoo enclosures, Napa was forced to perform tricks in front of a very large and loud crowd.

Confined To A Cage

It's unclear exactly what life at the circus was like, because in 2009 Serbia banned the use of wild animals in their shows. Since the circus no longer needed him, he was forced to spend his days in a small cage.

Four Paws

Though Napa didn't know it yet, he wasn't as alone in the world as it seemed. FOUR PAWS, an international animal welfare charity that focuses on sustainable solutions for wild animals in need, heard about Napa's conditions and just had to take action.