Before he was rescued, poor Dillan was considered the fattest Asiatic bear in the world.
But now, the bear is on his way to a slimmer future after being freed from a caged life.
The Wildlife Sanctuary rescued Dillan from a Pennsylvania gentleman’s club earlier this year over concerns that he was not being kept in a healthy manner.
The Colorado-based Sanctuary claimed that Dillan and “a bobcat and raccoon” were forced into small cages in the gentleman’s club as “the main attraction for club members who also have the option to blast guns at the club’s shooting range located less than 200 yards away.”
Tens of thousands of people affixed their signatures to a petition that called from Dillan’s release which resulted in him finally being set free.
Veterinarians who checked Dillan’s mouth were horrified at what they discovered.
They explained: “This kind of widespread devastation comes from being left for years without proper diagnosis or treatment, and would have been accompanied by just as many years of pain and suffering.
“The sheer amount of debris that was pulled out of the rotted root paths of his teeth was mind-boggling, as was the number of infection drainage holes found throughout his teeth and gums.”
Dillan is now being housed in a much larger enclosure in Colorado.
Because the cage he was locked up in was so cramped, he did not have space to walk around. That made him fat, about twice the normal size of a bear of his species. He also had issues with his feet and ankles.
But that hasn’t daunted the Wildlife Sanctuary in the least and they are determined to make an effort to trim Dillan down to a healthy weight. This is why the bear has been put on a diet.
Workers at the Sanctuary have shared a picture of Dillan, who didn’t look too thrilled at his lettuce meal. But they want to get Dillan’s weight down before he meets his potential mate, Lily. Yeah, we’ve all been there.
In a video uploaded to Facebook, they said: “Dillan is enjoying his new location within a habitat at the Sanctuary. He’s in a temporary enclosure within the same habitat as Lily, but she is still fast asleep and hibernating, so they have not met.
“This is Dillan’s favorite hammock, but he has to do the ‘big body roll’ to generate enough inertia to get himself out. Staff visits him numerous times a day so he can still feel totally spoiled…but sooner or later, he will eventually meet Lily, and then maybe enjoy her company more!”
Here’s to hoping Dillan has a happier and healthier life ahead!
Replaced!