Masha the bear is a master napper.

The 18-year-old rescue animal recently won FOUR PAWS's 2025 March Napness competition, the annual contest sees the animal welfare organization's rescue bears, scattered across seven international sanctuaries, vie for the longest hibernation period. The last rescue bear to wake up from hibernation is crowned the winner of March Napness.

On April 12, Masha emerged from her winter break, beating out her closest competitor by three days of extra sleep. A March Napness win is a big honor for any bear, especially FOUR PAWS rescue bears, many of whom were saved from situations where their hibernation periods were disrupted or ignored.

Before Masha arrived at Ukraine's Bear Sanctuary Domazhyr in 2018, she was subjected to a cruel and suffering-filled start to life. She lived at a hunting station where she was regularly used as hunting bait for dogs, who would chase, injure, and exhaust the bear without breaks. In 2013, Masha was removed from this situation and moved to a different sanctuary before arriving at FOUR PAWS's Bear Sanctuary Domazhyr.

"Held in a cage, she was only allowed to leave for dog fights. She lived in horrible conditions and in constant fear," Olya Fedoriv and Anna Klid of Bear Sanctuary Domazhyr tell PEOPLE.

Masha lost her tail to the hunting dogs and still bore psychological scars from her time chained up at the hunting station when she came to Bear Sanctuary Domazhyr in 2018, so her caretakers are overjoyed to see her winning an award that embraces rest and self-care.

"It was wonderful to see her sleeping so long in her cozy den with a straw nest," the sanctuary staff shares, noting that Masha still enjoys a nice nap since coming out of hibernation.

"Today, she has recovered a lot from her previous life. She feels safe in the sanctuary and knows nobody will hurt her anymore."

Part of what makes Masha feel safe is her friend Potap, a fellow rescue bear at the sanctuary. The sanctuary calls Potap Masha's "found bear friend." The two quickly formed a strong social bond after being introduced and can often be found attending to "bear business" together, mainly swimming and relaxing side by side.

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"We can really say that this bear couple is equal and respectful to each other – truly a modern relationship model," the sanctuary says.

Bear Sanctuary Domazhyr also does its part to enrich Masha's life, following the protocol of "listening to the bears and respecting her answers."

"Masha has a big, safe, and natural-like enclosure. Our team observes her behavior and interacts with the bear only in a respectful and caring way. We try to notice things Masha likes and catch possible triggers that can turn her back to her previous life," Fedoriv and Klid say.

Unfortunately, there are stressful events out of the sanctuary's control.

"On February 24, 2022, in the morning, Russia made missile strikes on the whole territory of Ukraine, including the Lviv region. The war totally changed the lives of the Ukrainian people. That day is very memorable for the Bear Sanctuary Domazhyr staff. No one believed what was happening; everyone was in a state of fear and uncertainty, but we are proud to say — everyone stayed strong. Despite the situation in the country, our wonderful team continued to care for 31 bears," Fedoriv and Klid share.

Even in the face of war, Bear Sanctuary Domazhyr stayed focused on their special animal residents and the safety of Ukraine's other rescue bears, taking in an additional seven bears in an emergency rescue operation from a sanctuary in Kyiv. Today, life for Masha and her caretakers is calmer, but the Bear Sanctuary Domazhyr is ready to protect their bears no matter what.

Thanks to the kindness and care of Bear Sanctuary Domazhyr and her found friend Potap, Masha has blossomed into a "smart and independent bear."

"She needed her time to adapt to her new home and recover from past traumatic events, but now Masha has shown herself as a bear with a confident, curious personality. She enjoys sharing her enclosure with Potap and likes to swim, run, discover forest spots, and play with enrichment tools," Fedoriv and Klid say.

The sanctuary employees add that they hope Masha's success with March Napness and beyond proves the resilience of rescue animals and those who care for them.

To learn more about Masha and Bear Sanctuary Domazhyr, visit the sanctuary's website.