Volunteer in a Bear Sanctuary in Romania

All 80 + bears are lovely but you are bound to choose favourite. Mine was Betsy(26 year old lady rescued from Texas).
In the work I became an expert in making 2ice-cream2 for the bears ,make up of various ex supermarket dairy produce and bread. In 2 weeks and after 1000 cartons I feel confident I set a word record time for opening mascarpone cartons. Betsy watched my work at close quarters and nodded sagely at my progress. The work is fun and rewarding and you sense also valuable to the hardworking staff at the3 sanctuary.
The whole experience ran very smoothly and Razvan was a brilliant and super-supportive host.
It was great to meet and make a good friend in my co-volunteer over the 2 weeks.

I would recommend this experience to people of all ages and background who have the desire to work and play hard whilst furthering an interest in nature and the large carnivores such as bears and wolves. It is not a holiday, but rather a taster of a lifestyle where you will give as much to a community as what you can take from it. Daily tasks at the sanctuary can be physically hard work, but there are also many opportunities to just watch, relax, and absorb your surroundings. We enjoyed ourselves so much first time round that we went back for 3 months the following year, and again the next year for a week. It was good to see at first hand the progression made at the sanctuary, and most importantly, to find the bears responding to their newly acquired enclosures and seemingly able to put behind them their years of captivity.

I arrived in Brasov on the 4th of July 2014 and was to stay for four weeks. My first weekend was relaxing but by no means is that a reflection of how many things there are to see and visit while you are in Romania. I managed to fit in visited the city of Sighisoara, Bran Castle, Rasnov Fortress, Peles Castle, I climbed 7 Ladders Canyon and took a tour of Brasov.
The beginning of a work week begins on a Monday and continues through to Friday, allowing plenty of time for fitting in all these activities on the weekends but also meaning you get to spend a lot of time with the main reason you will be travelling to Brasov, the bears.

The bear sanctuary is nothing short of amazing, a great set up, lovely staff, beautiful surroundings and at the time of my visit, 81 gorgeous bears. The bears are a mixture of characters and you have plenty of time to grow attached to them all.
Jobs vary from food preparation, painting fences, raking and helping out around the sanctuary, but also 'free time,' for wandering around and watching the bears, scattered amongst the work. Don't get me wrong sometimes the work does get very repetitive and you do get tired, but it doesn't change just how amazing the experience is and how grateful you will inevitably be by the end of it all. Don't go expecting not to get dirty, sweaty and gross because that is definitely part of the experience. If you are on food prep by yourself, like I was for my first week, I would recommend some form of music to pass the time. Once you have someone with you it is a completely different story, it is also awesome to be able to share the experience with someone else who loves the bears just as much as you do, someone that will also no doubt become you friend.

The apartment is located in a great spot, only streets from the main square and road, the local supermarket and plenty of places to visit as a tourist. Not a minutes went by that I didn't feel a hundred percent safe, comfortable or at home. With everything that is considered essential within walking distance the small completely gorgeous and picturesque section of the Brasov offers complete independence.

I will greatly miss Brasov, my temporary home, my amazing room-mates who I look forward to seeing again somewhere down the track, and the more than accommodating Razvan the Oyster Rep, who went above and beyond. These guys help to make this experience what it was and so much more, I went for the bears but I had a better time in Romania than I could ever have imagined because of the family I feel like I made and the lifelong friends I will have. A massive thanks to Oyster Worldwide for providing me with the time of my life!

I had the most rewarding experience when volunteering within Romania at the Libearty Bear Sanctuary and also at the Millions of Friends Dog Shelter. The dedicated staff and other volunteers I met along the way made my experience even better to be able to share it with others. It was a very rewarding, positive, enjoyable and fun experience. So much- that I returned to Brasov for another few weeks of volunteering before departing Europe for Australia.

This was a long standing ambition for me and I wasn't disappointed. I think it's fair to say that you get out as much as you're prepared to put in.
I went for 6 weeks in March/April in 2012 & 2013 so enjoyed the end of the winter season & start of the spring. Everything is organised for you from collection at the airport to daily 30 minute transfers to & from the sanctuary. The main daily task is usually preparing food for the bears, donkeys & wolves. Other tasks are dictated by the weather but for me included clearing ditches and bagging leaves to allow water flow; cleaning the on-site surgery and training suite in the main building; helping with the guided tours. You work alongside the local permanent staff, who are very friendly but certainly appreciate it if you make the effort to speak a little Romanian. The work can be dirty but that's one of the reasons I love this programme so much - it's not a glorified holiday; more roll your sleeves up and muck in! Having said that you do get plenty of time when the tasks are complete or you're awaiting a food delivery when you can explore the sanctuary (the setting is breathtaking) , observe the bears and take fantastic photos. The apartment in Brasov was ideal as not too big; the max it holds is 4 people in 2 bedrooms; it's great fun sharing with other volunteers, especially when exploring the bars/restaurants in the evenings/weekends, although I have to say I did enjoy a period when I had a room to myself. Razvan is the Romanian Oyster rep who speaks perfect English and works tirelessly to ensure you have everything you need. He took us to the supermarket to stock up on food and a few sightseeing trips at the weekend. He even helped me organise a birthday trip for my visiting sister to the Danube Delta, including hiring a car & getting a hotel to accommodate us in the 'closed' season. As I was there for quite a long time, I also took the opportunity to visit the dog shelter in Brasov, which is another worthy cause supported by the same charity.
This really is a fantastic experience; I can't wait to go back again and I hope to make it an annual event!

Working at the Libearty sanctuary in Romania was possibly the most wonderful and exciting trips of my life. Every day just walking up to the main house we got to see many of the bears who live there. Mostly we prepared an sorted food, which left plenty of time to take some fabulous photos or just sit and observe the bears. Apart from the volunteering, there was always something to do near the flat since it was two streets over from the main road. Many afternoons were spent just strolling around and enjoying the scenery or people watching with my fellow volunteers, who I still keep in contact with. If you want to meet some amazing people and some cool bears you absolutely must take part in this program!

I spent three weeks volunteering in the Zarnesti bear sanctuary and living in the apartment provided for the volunteers in nearby Brasov. It was a completely new experience for me. Although the work itself was quite repetitive (preparing the food for the bears, some work maintaining and cleaning the grounds and buildings on the site), the location was magnificent (so was the weather, in April-May) and the chance to observe dozens of bears going about their daily lives was truly unique. The staff on site were cheerful and friendly and appreciated my attempts at speaking Romanian; the volunteer coordinator in Brasov, Razvan, could not have been more helpful - and was great to have around and socialize with as well. We finished work in mid afternoon most days so there was plenty of time to explore Brasov and relax in the private area/garden outside the apartment. The only downside for me was lack of privacy - the apartment consists of two shared bedrooms and a kitchen, so there's no space indoors for quiet time, but for anyone who isn't bothered by that it was very comfortable.

I spent just two weeks volunteering at the Zarnesti Bear Sanctuary near Brasov, but that incredible experience left a lasting memory. This is such a unique opportunity to spend time with these magnificent creatures, and contribute to their ongoing protection.

One of my lasting memories is of walking around the large enclosures, set within a stunning autumnal forest, and watching the brown bears pace along with me - it is a magical place, and an experience I will always remember.
I also really enjoyed living in the unit in Brasov, which is located within the walls of the beautiful medieval city.

The other great advantage of this program was the support from the Oyster team. Anne was so helpful - we talked over Skype before my program, and then she even took me out to a pub lunch when I visited the England office! And Razvan was the Romanian contact - he picked me up from Bucharest, helped with shopping and even drove me out to Bran Castle on one of the weekends. I've heard some worrying stories about big volunteering companies, so I would truly recommend Oyster as it seemed to me that they really do care about their volunteers and their programs.

If you want to do something different, if you care about the treatment of animals, and if you are not afraid of a little hard work, then you will have a great time on this program.