You may know Sam Simon from his work on The Simpsons, but more and more Simon’s name is being associated with the incredible work he does for animals. After being diagnosed with cancer, Simon has made it his mission to make as much of a positive impact for animals as possible. In collaboration with PETA, Simon just helped to rescue two Himalayan Black Bears from a defunct roadside zoo in Tennessee.

The bears had been illegally imported from into the U.S. and were being kept at Three Bears General Store, a tourist trap in Pigeon Forge, TN. These two bears, a male and female, were kept in a concrete pit where they served as props for tourists who would come to visit the store. When they were not being held at the store, they were being kept in a residential backyard in cages. Upon learning this, PETA launched a formal complaint with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency who was then able to charge the owner of Three Bears with illegally importing of the bears.


Thanks to a generous donation from Sam Simon, the bears have just been moved to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado. It was discovered that the female bear was pregnant so they were able to move the bears right away to ensure she would have time to make a comfortable nest before she gave birth.

In this video the bears get to experience freedom for the very first time! Enjoy your new home little bears!