Overview

• Gaia, also known as JJ4, reached the Alternative Wolf and Bear Park in Bad Rippoldsau-Schapbach at 6 a.m. on July 20 after being sedated and transported in a specialized box.
• Park staff report the almost 20-year-old bear is calm and feeding but will stay in the smaller pre-enclosure until she settles enough for transfer to her secure one-hectare habitat.
• The new enclosure was funded by roughly €1 million in donations and features electrified fencing, under-dig protection and planned camera surveillance.
• Her relocation follows a court-ordered suspension of a 2023 kill decree after animal welfare legal challenges and concludes months of logistical and regulatory preparation under EU wildlife protection rules.
• Park representatives intend to rename JJ4 to avoid the “killer bear” association and have ruled out public access to her habitat for the foreseeable future.