31 December 2006 EXCLUSIVE: HAPPY NEW BEAR <http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/tm_headline=happy-new-bear-&method=full&; objectid=18355717&siteid=62484-name_page.html> SUNDAY Mirror readers free Nicu from cage hell to forest haven By Susie Boniface And Martin Coutts
NICU the brown bear has been saved from his life in a squalid cage - thanks to caring Sunday Mirror readers. He has been moved from his 10sq ft prison to a forested enclosure where he will be able to roam freely for the first time in his life. The operation was organised by the World Society for the Protection of Animals and backed by £10,000 donated by Sunday Mirror readers. The European brown bear had spent all his five years living in the tiny cage, which was bare except for a rubber mat and an empty trough. His owners used him to attract trade to a Romanian restaurant, and he lived off the scraps from the cafe. WSPA discovered Nicu's plight and the Sunday Mirror took up his fight. He is one of five bears that have been seized from their owners and taken to the town of Brasov, deep in the Transylvanian countryside. But Nicu is so malnourished that he cannot be allowed into his forested enclosure until after winter passes. WSPA wildlife director Victor Watkins said: "Nicu is settling into hibernation. His holding pen has been filled with bales of straw for him to make a den to sleep in. "He's been enjoying a good diet of fruits, vegetables, bread and honey to fatten him up for winter. When the weather warms up in late February he'll have vet checks before he's released into his enclosure, where he can forage for his own food." Emmerdale actor Dominic Brunt, who plays vet Paddy Kirk, traveled to Romania to see the rescue. He said: "It was awful seeing such a magnificent beast in such a dreadful state. I'm so pleased he'll have a normal bear's life from now on." To donate to WSPA call 0800 197 0700 or go online at www.wspa.org.uk [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------- Vali "Noble blood is an accident of fortune; noble actions are the chief mark of greatness." (Carlo Goldoni) "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." (Jimi Hendrix)
