Story highlights The bear was beaten by residents who said it tried to attack a child

It was rescued and taken to a zoo

The bear was nicknamed Ajayu, which means "soul" or "spirit"

(CNN) A spectacled bear who had been brutally beaten has been given a second chance at life by Bolivian environmental authorities.

The bear will soon be on his way to an enclosure at a wildlife refuge on the outskirts of La Paz. Environmental authorities there expect he will be healthy enough to be moved to his new home within the next two weeks.

The bear, nicknamed Ajayu, was rescued in late January after it was beaten with sticks and stones by residents in Tiraque, a town about 250 miles southeast of the capital.

Ajayu -- which means "soul" or "spirit" -- was left for dead.

The residents justified the attack by saying the bear tried to attack a child in the city, according to the city-run La Paz news agency

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