Bear Ben
Lives together with his brother at our sanctuary
Born in a concrete enclosure
Brown bear Ben was brought together with his mother Maya (†) and his brother Felix from the zoo 'Schwarzwaldpark Löffingen' in Germany to our BEAR SANCTUARY Müritz. Their father was Lothar (†), our very first bear here at BEAR SANCTUARY Müritz.
For 12 years, Ben lived in a small concrete enclosure where he had been born, too. In 2007, he finally could start a new life at our sanctuary.
The bear brothers Ben and Felix are playing in the water.
A water-loving bear
When Ben first got to our BEAR SANCTUARY, he was very shy and had strong behavioural disorders due to the many years living in a small concrete enclosure. He mostly stayed hidden in the forest and only came out to look for food. Luckily, he settled in quickly and turned into an open-minded bear that loves to go for a swim.
Inseparable brothers
Ben's partner in crime is his brother! The bear brothers Ben and Felix spend most of their time together and look very alike. Only somebody who knows them well can tell who is who - a clue is usually Bens right ear, which has a small cut in it. The brothers are especially known for their playful fights in the water.
These two usually show little interest in the man-made enrichments that the caretakers offer them. Instead, they prefer the toys that nature provides them with. Ben and Felix seem very content in their big forest enclosure and each others company, which makes the observation of the stereotypic behaviour of their past a rare occasion.
Facts about Ben
- I come from: the zoo Schwarzwaldpark Löffingen
- I am: often together with my brother Felix and a little smaller with a cut in my right ear.
- What the caretakers say about me:
In comparison with his brother, Ben is mostly kind and even-tempered. He has a strong bond to his brother, they often play together in the water. - Fun story about Ben:
When we prepared the bear houses with hay for the winter, Ben had his own ideas about the interior design. Under the surprised eyes of his caretakers, he moved all the hay out of the house and into the sun - just to nap right in front of the box. Again and again they provided hay in the bear house, and again and again did he move it outside, where visitors could observe him doing yoga or napping in the sun.
The fifth or sixth round of hay must've been to his liking though, because eventually, he decided to withdraw in the box for hibernation.
