Brown Bear Ida († 2026)

Our dandelion lover

A life behind bulletproof glass

Ida was born in 1995 and was born in a breeding program at the German zoo in Stendal. As a young cub, she was brought to the zoo Kalletal, also in Germany, where she spent many years living behind bulletproof glass. This was where she met bear Katja (†), who later joined Ida on her journey to the BEAR SANCTUARY Müritz.

Ida had a very elegant way of eating apples.

New start at BEAR SANCTUARY Müritz

When the zoo Kalletal had to be sold, the owner was looking for a new home for his bears and approached the BEAR SANCTUARY Müritz. After a few negotiations, the two bear ladies could finally be brought to our sanctuary.

Curious and people-orientated

When Ida first got to our BEAR SANCTUARY Müritz, she was a little shy. But within no time, she started to trust our animal caretaker team and settled into her new home. Ida liked to go for a swim in the creek and eat the water plants she found there.

Ida liked to have a general overview of what happened around her. She often sat on higher spots near the fence and didn't seem disturbed when visitors passed by. She also liked to take a shower in the summer when the caretakers offered the opportunity with a garden hose.

I came from: the zoo Stendal
I was: a fluffy, curious, but also moody bear
What the animal caretakers said about me:
When there's something Ida didn't like, she clearly showed it. Nonetheless, with her fluffy fur and her big personality, she managed to wrap the caretakers around her finger.
Fun story about Ida:
Although we didn't know for sure, we assume that summer was Ida's favourite time of the year. As soon as the dandelion buds opened and the green enclosures were covered in yellow dots, the bear lady was in her element. Dandelions were her absolute favourite snack! She could often be seen reaching as far as possible to get the last flower - that often, dandelions were even officially included in her diet plan!