Bald 'Bare Bear' Makes Stunning, Furry Transformation After Her Move to a Texas Sanctuary

Mar. 15, 2025

Eve the bear shortly after her rescue in 2017 and Eve at Black Beauty Ranch.Photo:Black Beauty Ranch/HSUS

Black Beauty Ranch/HSUS

Eve the bear has undergone an undeniable glow-up over the past seven years.

The animalfirst made headlines in 2017when rescuers in Northern California found the bear dumpster diving on Christmas Eve. Bear sightings aren’t uncommon in Northern California, but Eve’s look at the time made her memorable.

According to theHumane Society of the United States(HSUS), rescuers from a California wildlife center took in the bear, then just a 30-pound cub, because she had “the worst case of mange many experts had ever seen.” The infection left Eve almost entirely bald, earning her the title “bare bear.”

Eve spent two years recovering at the center in California, where she received treatment for her mange and a healthy diet that helped the animal build her strength. The bear’s rescuers considered releasing Eve into the wild but determined the animal was too dependent on humans and lacked the necessary skills to survive.

Eve the bear shortly after her rescue.Black Beauty Ranch/HSUS

In December 2019, Eve moved to her forever home, the Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas. The 1,400-acre sanctuary is home to various animals, including five bears, who have overcome neglect, abuse, and mistreatment.

Photos of Eve the bear’s transformation over the past seven years.Black Beauty Ranch/HSUS

Eve spends her days at the sanctuary sniffing out the food her caretakers scatter throughout the grasses and trees of her large habitat, which also includes a pool. Once a cautious and timid bear, Eve now makes a point of seeking interaction with the other animals at the sanctuary and is known as a “sassy” personality among the sanctuary’s staff.

“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,” Sue Tygielski, senior director of Black Beauty Ranch, shared in a statement.

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Eve the bear enjoying her habitat at Black Beauty Ranch.Black Beauty Ranch/HSUS

Recent photos of the bear show Eve enjoying her daily life at the sanctuary while sporting a full coat of natural fur she’s grown throughout her recovery.

To learn more about Black Beauty Ranch and its life-saving work,visit the sanctuary’s website.

source: people.com