Rest in Peace, Leela the bear

After eight peaceful years spent as living at Balkasar bear sanctuary, Leela passed away as a result of a parasitic infection. Despite the best efforts of the vets, sadly, she wasn't able to fight off her illness and passed away at the age of 16.

Tragic past

Before being surrendered to the sanctuary in 2011, Leela had spent several years being forced to fight with dogs.

Her vision was severely impaired, the claws on her hind limbs were cut and her front teeth were likely ripped out when she was younger.

Life in the sanctuary

When Leela arrived at Balkasar, she immediately seemed comfortable in her new home and put on some healthy weight. She loved digging, hanging by the pool and spending time with other bears - even if her blindness sometimes brought her to take some alone time.

Leela shared a special bond with another female bear named Bhoori. They both survived a tragic past being used as bait bears in dog fights.

Thanks to people like you, Leela was able to live out the rest of her life in the peace and tranquillity of Balkasar sanctuary.

While Leela will always hold a special place in our hearts, there are other bears that urgently need your help.

Help a bear

Thanks to people like you, Leela was able to live out the rest of her life in the peace and tranquillity of Balkasar sanctuary.