• Jump to the recipe
• Donate to help bears at Domazhyr
•  March Napness winner announcement video with Nemanja Golubovic
• Preparing for the celebration
• Nemanja Golubovic making the recipe (video)
• Watch the bears enjoy their treat (video)
• Photo gallery
• About Masha
• About BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr
• About Nemanja Golubovic

Our sanctuary in Ukraine, BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr, recently celebrated their March Napness win with a very special enrichment treat for champion Masha and her fellow Domazhyr bears! 

March Napness is our annual celebration of sleep, which tracks which rescued bears at our sanctuaries hibernate the longest. Inspired by March Madness, the NCAA basketball tournament, our bracket-style competition lets fans predict which bear they think will snooze the latest into spring. 

Our 2025 season was a real claw biter, with the final five bears all awakening within days of one another. However, one bear outslept all the rest, and bear Masha took home the title! 

In honor of Masha's remarkable sleep-letism, celebrity vegan chef Nemanja Golubovic created a very special recipe to celebrate. The "pizza" includes some of Masha's favorite foods, such as carrots and bananas, and it is the perfect treat for our bears who are in feasting mode as they prepare to enter hibernation again later this fall. 

See Nemanja Golubovic announce the March Napness winner!

Chef Nemanja Golubovic first created the recipe at his vegan restaurant, Kale My Name, in Chicago. Our staff in Ukraine then followed the recipe to make the pizza in our kitchen at BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr. Though the recipe was made with our bears in mind, it is also a delicious vegan treat for humans too!

Before her rescue, Masha endured incredible cruelty. Kept at a hunting station and used as bait for hunting dogs, Masha suffered years of abuse. In 2013, she was rescued by the Nadiya Rescue Center, now called White Rock, and finally transferred to BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr in 2018. 

The 18-year-old bear shares an enclosure with her friend, Potap, and the two enjoy a special bond. Although Potap awoke weeks before Masha this past spring, he was very considerate of his partner and quietly waited for her to emerge from her den. A truly modern, caring relationship! 

In addition to being a champion of sleep, Masha is also know for being a very curious bear, who always wants to know what's going on around her. She is a small bear who is very fast, and loves to run and play with Potap. 

Established in 2016, BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr provides a species-appropriate home and lifelong care to brown bears abused as baiting or circus bears, kept in small cages next to restaurants to attract customers, or held in other inadequate conditions. In their new home, our rescued bears can now follow their natural instincts. After a life in horrible captive circumstances, they (re)discover a species-appropriate life. Relaxed rambles through the green landscapes or exuberant splashing in the ponds: in BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr there are a variety of activities for every bear.

Nemanja Golubovic is the founder of vegan restaurant Kale My Name. Acquiring a plethora of five-star ratings and reviews, “Kale My Name” has quickly converted into the top-rated vegan restaurant in The United States and won numerous awards. Born in Montenegro, Nemanja lived in several diverse countries prior to him rooting his entrepreneurial foundation in 2015 in the United States.

Golubovic is a passionate advocate for animals. He collaborates with leading organizations like FOUR PAWS to raise awareness and inspire change. He is also a content creator for VegNews, the largest vegan magazine in the world, where his work reaches and influences a global plant-based audience. Nemanja has his own YouTube series called "Puppy Patrol" where he interviews dog owners while they are driving to the dog park for a playdate.
 

🍠  Crust 

 (Sweet, sturdy, carrot-based) 

• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 cup ground sunflower seeds or walnuts
• 1 ripe banana (for sweetness & stickiness)
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (binding)
• Splash of water as needed

Instructions: 

1. Blend or food process everything until doughy.
2. Shape into a pizza crust on parchment paper
3. Optional: Dehydrate for firmer texture but soft is ok too??

🍓  Fruit Sauce “Marinara” 

• 1/2 cup strawberries or blueberries)
• 1/2 cup peeled apple or pear
• 1 soft date or raisins to taste (optional for extra sweetness)
• Splash of water

Instructions: 

Blend until saucy. Sweet and fruity  

🍌  Cashew-Banana Cheese Swirl 

• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked if possible) or shelled sunflower seeds
• 1 banana
• Splash of unsweetened coconut water or water

Instructions: 

Blend until creamy. 

🍎  Toppings 

• Sliced bananas
• Chopped apples
• Carrots
• A few berries of your choice
• Pumpkin seeds or crushed almonds on top

✨ Assembly 

1. Spread the crust - refrigerate or dehydrate for a more solid crust
2. Add fruit “sauce.”
3. Dollop on banana cashew “cheese.”
4. Decorate with toppings