Ricki the bear is on her way to greener pastures.

The 18-year-old female bear who lived at a popular rural York County ice cream parlor attraction for nearly two decades is bound for the Colorado-based Wild Animal Sanctuary, according to a news release from the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

Ricki was reported released and on her way to the sanctuary on Monday after the organization settled its lawsuit with Jim McDaniels, owner of Jim Mack's Ice Cream, where the bear lived for 16 years in a small, outdoor concrete-floor enclosure with chain-link fencing.

Little Ricki the black bear will soon be out of her cage at Mack's Ice Cream in Hallam, Pa., for a new home in a Colorado animal sanctuary.

In her new home at the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Ricki will have at her disposal 15 acres of rolling grassland. She will have the ability to engage in natural bear behaviors, such as bathing, exploring, foraging, and denning, the ALDF said. She will be "slowly transitioned into her new life" and will be undisturbed by humans and traffic. She will in time be able to run and play with other bears, according to the ALDF.

PennLive could not immediately reach McDaniels for comment.

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Ricki garnered considerable attention, including that of British comedian Ricky Gervais, after several plaintiffs in December filed a civil lawsuit in York County Court of Common Pleas contending that she received inappropriate care, enrichment and food. The plaintiffs, who sought to relocate her from her home to an animal sanctuary, garnered the support of thousands of supporters. Several petitions were circulated on behalf of Ricki, including one that had close to 200,000 signatures.

Ricki had long been the main attraction at Mack's ice cream stop, a popular stop along Route 462 between Hellam and Wrightsville that also features a mini-zoo, miniature golf and kiddie playground rides.

McDaniel and his supporters argued that the feed mix of dog food and dry corn kernels for sale was meant to be only a treat and that Ricki was adequately fed and cared for.

According to the ALDF, veterinary experts warned that Ricki would undergo a "slow and torturous decline in physical and mental health" if she remained in her previous living conditions.