MURCHISON, Texas—Five years after arriving at Black Beauty Ranch, the internationally known hairless “bare bear” named Eve now has a healthy coat of fur and is living her happily-ever-after in her expansive natural habitat at the 1,400-acre Murchison, Texas sanctuary.

Eve did not look at all like a bear when she was found on Christmas Eve 2017 dumpster diving in Northern California. She was a lean cub weighing just 30 pounds and was completely hairless, suffering from the worst case of mange many experts had ever seen. In December 2019, following two years of rehabilitation at a wildlife center in California, she was moved to her permanent home at Black Beauty Ranch, part of the Humane Society of the United States, where she now weighs a robust 160 pounds.

Over the past five years Eve went from being extremely shy and timid to becoming an inquisitive, sassy bear who explores and ventures through her habitat and interacts with neighboring bears in nearby habitats. One of her favorite daily routines is sniffing, exploring and searching for food that her caregivers scatter throughout the forest floor and on tree branches, enjoying the freedom to act like a wild bear.

Sue Tygielski, senior director of Black Beauty Ranch, said: “When Eve was found searching through trash, tiny and hairless, she looked nothing like a bear. The story of this incredibly resilient, strong, determined bear is remarkable. She has been through so much and has come into her own, expressing her natural wild behaviors, exploring, climbing high in the trees, splashing in her pool and lounging in a nest she created at the base of her favorite tree. She is thriving and living the life she deserves, just getting to be a bear.”    

Eve is one of four bears living at the sanctuary. A curious girl, she is often found hanging around the edge of her habitat to try to get a look at Sammi, a retired circus bear, and mother-son bear duo Jackie and Russell in their nearby habitats.

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