Five quick questions with animal lover Catherine Gray
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Catherine Gray has been moving the world to protect animals for many years. Earlier this year, she decided to visit our partner bear sanctuary in Romania to see our work first-hand. We sat down with Catherine to get to know her a little better.
Catherine Gray was lucky enough to see these bears in their new sanctuary home. Watch a video of one of the resident bears happily rolling in the grass in his new home.
What made you want to visit the Libearty Bear Sanctuary in Romania?
I’ve always been interested in the welfare of bears and have followed World Animal Protection and the work they do for bears. I was appalled by the bear baiting and dancing and all the horrible things that happened to them. That’s why I particularly wanted to see them when I visited Romania.
Would you recommend the trip to other animal lovers?
I would certainly recommend the trip to anyone who has the time to go visit. There’s nothing like seeing the bears for yourself. Seeing them being so well cared for in their rescued life after all the traumas they’ve been through. They look so relaxed in the beautiful park they live in. It was amazing to see them take their first steps onto the grass in their new home. It took them so long because they’d never seen grass before!
Where are you planning to travel to next?
Africa. I LOVE Africa, especially Kenya. There’s a place in Nairobi where they look after elephants who have been rescued from poachers. I don’t have any travel dates yet but it’s something I love to think about. I hope to get there one day.
What's your most memorable wild animal encounter?
I have to say it was the gorillas in Uganda. To see them in the wild was really something I won’t forget. It was like a David Attenborough film. Just to see them in their natural state.
Chameleons can change colour and the mantis shrimp can see colours humans can’t. If you could have an animal strength, what would it be?
Elephants because they are so clever and caring. They look after their young and the family group. They care for each other. They cry if they’re upset or if they lose their young. I have every respect for elephants, so I would choose their strengths. To be clever and caring like them.
Find out more about our work to rescue bears from bear baiting and bear dancing and see how you can help make a difference.
It was amazing to see them take their first steps onto the grass in their new home. It took them so long because they’d never seen grass before!