KEENESBURG, Colo. -- A Colorado wildlife sanctuary said they have taken part in one of the largest bear rescues in the country.

Staff from the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, CO traveled to Ohio last week to rescue eight black bears after a court-ordered shutdown of a facility breeding the animals.

“The bears were knee-deep in feces and urine. It was a terrible facility,” said Pat Craig, the sanctuary’s executive director. “There are a lot of people that are breeding and selling lions and tigers and bears to people just as pets, and obviously, that doesn’t work out.”

He said they made a stop at another Ohio farm to rescue seven more black bears from conditions that were not much better.

The bears have been released into their 20-acre habitat at the Sanctuary, many walking on grass for the first time, playing in the swimming tanks, and exploring the underground dens.

The sanctuary is now home to 47 bears.