Dillan, an overweight Asiatic black bear who was rescued from a cramped enclosure at a sportsmen’s club in Millmont, Pa. earlier this year, is now thriving in an open, grassy area at the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colo, living with his enclosure mate, Lily, a female Asiatic black bear.
The rescued bear also lives near an American black bear named Ricki and several tigers rescued from the infamous “Tiger King,” Joe Exotic.
After arriving at the sanctuary in January with a host of untreated medical problems, Dillan underwent extensive dental surgery to remove some of his decaying teeth. Caretakers gradually acclimated the obese bear, who weighed 875 pounds at the time, to a spacious enclosure, where he became accustomed to living near other bears.
“Like most bears in the wild, they live in the same space but apart,” the rescue reported in Sanctuary News, its quarterly publication. “They are often seen in the habitat … doing what bears do, which includes climbing and sitting on legs, digging and swimming, and, of course, eating.”
Dillan’s health improved and he quickly lost weight. Previously, his belly dragged on the ground as he walked, but that soon changed.
Before relocating to the sanctuary, Dillan languished for decades in the cramped confines of a cage near a shooting range, enduring the alarming and near-constant gunfire just 200 yards away. Caretakers at the Wild Animal Sanctuary estimated that he was several hundred pounds overweight when he arrived, and Dillan suffered from various other ailments, including arthritis and infected gums.
He also suffered from psychological damage after decades in captivity, as evidenced by his visibly distressed appearance and tendency to rock back-and-forth. After numerous USDA citations and amid mounting pressure from tens of thousands of animal activists, the sportsmen’s club released Dillan into the care of rescuers, who provided the unhealthy bear with a long-overdue second chance at life.

This is no way to treat the bears or any other animal. It is man that is making problems for them and then we want to either blame them,use them for their pelts other horrible things. it is about time we all woke up and realized that doing what we are doing and animals become more extinct we will be right behind them.
Thanks for rescuing Dillon and getting him back with Lily. so happy for them
Asiatic black bears (Moon bears) are classified as an endangered species due to deforestation and hunting for its body parts. Also Moon bears are being kept inside cages for bile farming all the time, that isn’t good.
Humans should stop putting these bears inside cages for bile farming because it’s cruel and otherwise they’ll won’t have anymore healthiness to forage for food and water. These poor bears kept in cages for bile farming should be freed.
There’s another thing, killing moon bears for their body parts is very cruel and otherwise, these beautiful animals might become extinct.
Also humans should stop cutting down more trees and destroying the forests where the moon bears are living, they’ll go homeless otherwise
Bile farmings and body part killings should be banned right now, so we can protect these Asiatic black bears for conservation. We should build loads of sanctuaries for the moon bears so they breed more and more cubs to get their population growing again as conservation, that will be good and humans should leave these beautiful animals in peace!
Absolutely fantastic news for a change.
Well Done to everyone involved!
GOD BLESS ALL WHO RESCUED THESE BEARS. MAY THEY LIVE A LONG AND HAPPY LIFE!
Thank you for the amazing work you do and the fantastic results. I can’t contribute financially at the moment, but I am hoping this year will be a better one, in the financial area of my life. I applaud your work and all the dedication to making this world a much better place for our beloved animals.
GOD BLESS ALL WHO HELPED SAVE THIS BEAR AND GAVE IT THE BEST LIFE EVER.
Thrilled to be able to see Dillan out of that horrible environment & out in a field able to walk & forage & socialize with another bear. Glad his dental work has been done to make him comfortable too. Good job.
I am so glad that Dillion has received the medical care he so desperately needed and is now living his life out in a bear sanctuary 🐻.
Me too.
Wonderful to hear!
Thank you!
Excellente nouvelle! Merci à tous ceux qui ont contribué au bonheur de cet animal!
What a wonderful place to live like a bear, not a caged animal. So happy for him. Thank you all for rescuing him.
Hooray…. some positive and uplifting news. Thankyou to everyone involved…people power is a wonderful thing.
So happy this poor bear is finally free and can live a normal life!! How cruel some humans can be to
animals -sickening!
Wishing many years to Dillan – he’s earned them
Wishing this for every captive animal on the Earth.
He is a beautiful boy,so happy for him. I have been to the sanctuary where he is and it is a wonderful place for animals.
<3 <3 <3
Great piece of news!
Great piece of news!
Glad Dillon the bear is doing better. Wild animal trade hopefully will be stopped soon. It is cruel inhumane punishment for innocent animals. And it is usually all for the almighty dollar. Sick practices. As is canned hunting and trophy and sport hunting. And leghold traps. All need to be banned and made illegal.
Glad Dillon the bear is doing better. Wild animal trade hopefully will be stopped soon. It is cruel inhumane punishment for innocent animals. And it is usually all for the almighty dollar. Sick practices. As is canned hunting and trophy and sport hunting. And leghold traps. All need to be banned and made illegal.
So good to hear this!!! Made my day!! My heart melts. I just love all animals. They deserve to be treated with care and dignity. THANK YOU!