For 34 years, Stana lived in captivity, but last week, thanks to Harmony Fund, this beautiful elderly bear finally got to experience something she had been denied for almost her entire life. Her freedom to be a bear. Stana's story began in the forests of Serbia, where she and her sister Mara lived with their mother as cubs. Their mom was teaching them how to be a bear. How to fish, where to find berries and where to shelter from the rain. Then a hunter killed their mother and had her taxidermied as a trophy. And in a heartbreaking twist, Stana and Mara ended up spending their lives dependent upon the same man who had killed their mother. Four years ago, authorities finally found the sisters, removed them from the property, and took them to Palic Zoo, but sadly, Mara passed away last year and Stana had now lost both her mom and her sister. But her story wasn't over yet. Last week, Harmony Fund helped move Stana to ARKA Sanctuary in Banostor, where at long last she could experience a different kind of life. A life of being a bear. Her first day was spent exploring, eating fresh fruits and vegetables and discovering her new pool. And she apparently decided clean water was highly overrated because within a couple of hours she had climbed in and out so many times that she'd turned it muddy. Fun! 😂 But what she did that evening absolutely got my heart. As the day came to an end, Stana began digging into the earth. She made a little depression just big enough for her body. Then she gathered dry grass and arranged everything the way she wanted it to make herself a natural bed. Stana hadn't lived in the forest since she was a cub, but after 34 years she remembered how her mama taught her to be a bear. It was the first time in all those years she got to sleep outside under the stars and be a beary happy bear again. We can't give Stana those lost years back. She cannot be released into the wild, both because it isn't permitted by law and because after so many years in captivity she lacks the survival skills she would need. But she can now have grass beneath her paws, fresh food, and a pool to make as muddy as her heart pleases.

Sometimes one moment between a human and an animal can reach farther than anyone could ever imagine. I want to introduce you to Jill Robinson. The reason Rick Wakeman could play music for the moon bears now free from their years of cruelty and abuse. In 1993, Jill Robinson visited a bear bile farm in southern China. While she was there, a moon bear she named Hong, reached her paw through the bars of her cage and Jill reached back and held it. Jill left that farm knowing she received her calling. That moment changed the direction of Jill's life. Soon after, Jill and others helped rescue their first group of bears from another bile farm. In 1998, she founded Animals Asia, beginning what would become a decades-long mission to end bear bile farming and give rescued bears a life of sanctuary. More than 700 bears have since been rescued, all because one beautiful soul reaching for another began bringing more souls together. Jill became close friends with Jane Goodall who became a mentor and supporter of Animals Asia and the bears they were fighting to save. Before Jane passed away in 2025, she became guardian to a rescued moon bear named Robinson, who had spent approximately 15 years on a bile farm in Vietnam before finally reaching sanctuary. Robinson was named in honor of Jill. ❤️ And in March 2026, Jill received one of the first-ever Jane Goodall Hope Awards, recognizing more than three decades of her work for animals. I believe Hong knew what she was doing when she reached for the soul she knew would fight for her. We may never know what happened to her. But more than 700 rescued bears later, we know what happened because of her. One soul really can change the world with one tiny gesture of love. Thank you, Hong. And thank you, Jill Robinson, for reaching back.

I caught these cheeky chappies enjoying our sunflower seeds. It’s very rural here so we see all sorts 😂🥰

This number is very special to my heart, and I just had to share this little moment. We now have 77 beautiful souls in our community. I know the animals are celebrating right along with us! Thank you for being here and loving the animals with me! ❤️ 🐾🦋

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