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. 

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. 

Ben's partner in crime was his brother! The bear brothers Ben and Felix spent most of their time together. The siblings looked very alike. Only somebody who knew them well could tell them apart - a clue was usually Bens right ear, which had a small cut in it. The brothers were especially known for their playful fights in the water. 

Ben usually showed little interest in the man-made enrichments that the caretakers offered him. Instead, he prefered the toys that nature provided him with. Ben seemed very content in a big forest enclosure. He enjoyd the company of his brother Felix, which made the observation of the stereotypic behaviour of his past a rare occasion.