We sometimes hear stories about animals kept in cages for years before being released into the wild. It's a moment of triumph that brings tears to our eyes as we see them enjoying the freedom they so richly deserve.

A similar story happened with Jambolina, a European brown bear. She experienced a life of cruelty, spending most of it in a cramped cage as she traveled with a Ukrainian circus.

Photo: Flickr/manhhai License: CC BY 2.0

Jambolina lived in captivity for 12 years, but before she passed, she experienced a moment of freedom. Seeing that moment is something that will touch your heart.

According to Four Paws, as a circus bear, Jambolina had to perform for the audience since she was just a cub. She had been in the cage since just a few days after her birth in January 2009. It wasn't long before she was purchased and put on display in a cramped cage at a zoo in Crimea.

Animal activists consider the life that she lived to be similar to torture. She couldn't do things the bears usually do, and she was forced to work and do tricks. Most of the time, she was stuffed into a small cage.

Photo: Flickr/simpleinsomnia License: CC BY 2.0

Her suffering all came to a head during the coronavirus pandemic. Since the crowds were no longer coming to the circus, they couldn't earn a profit from her. Jambolina's owners decided to get rid of her.

Fortunately, the charity Four Paws was on hand to rescue the bear from the tiny cage in a garage. When the charity got there, they described the pen as small enough that she could barely move and couldn't even stand upright.

By the middle of December 2020, she was on her way to Switzerland. Driving there in a special transporter made for wild animals took four days.

After arriving in Switzerland, she was taken by cable car and snowcat to the Arosa Bear Sanctuary. She was finally going to get the freedom that she so richly deserved.

https://twitter.com/FourPawsUK/status/1338818625172615170

It took some adjusting for Jambolina to begin enjoying her new home. The rescue shared that within a few days, however, she was frolicking about in the snow and loving her new life.

They did recognize that she showed some behavior typically seen in bears kept in captivity for years. They were hoping she could put that behind her and rediscover her natural instincts.

That came about a month later, in January 2021. The charity said she was exploring her new habitat in the Swiss mountains and exhibiting more normal behavior.

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Her life improved because she could hibernate for the first time and she met another bear, Meimo.

The two of them enjoyed their time together:

Unfortunately, on August 5, 2021, things took a turn for the worse because Jambolina died unexpectedly. She was experiencing dental problems and was supposed to undergo a routine operation, but she stopped breathing when she received an anesthetic.

The charity announcement read: "It is with heavy hearts and deepest sadness that we have to inform you that bear Jambolina suddenly and unexpectedly passed away today shortly before a surgery in Arosa Bear Sanctuary. Despite all efforts to resuscitate her, she unfortunately passed away. We are currently investigating what caused Jambolina's death. We will keep you informed."

https://twitter.com/fourpawsint/status/1423242295755870218/

The cause of death was determined to be cardiovascular failure.