A rescued circus bear at a popular Scots zoo has sadly been put to sleep after battling an underlying spinal condition. Carmen, a European brown bear, was saved by kind-hearted staff at the Five Sisters Zoo in West Lothian alongside two other bears in March, 2012.
The trio were part of a circus troupe that travelled around Europe and were kept chained inside tiny cages no bigger than themselves.
After a mammoth fundraising campaign, Carmen soon began her new life at the West Calder zoo but was left with a lasting reminder of her previous cruel treatment.
Despite much love and attention from her keepers, Carmen’s battle with a spinal condition became too painful and she had to be put to sleep at the age of 36.Breaking the tragic news, Five