Rescued Moon Bears Arrive at Suffolk Wildlife Park

1:02 PM ETDeveloping

Science Desk

In Short: Five moon bears rescued from South Korea's bile farms have arrived at Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park in Suffolk, where they will enjoy a new, improved life.

Jimmy Doherty, founder of the wildlife park, said the rescued bears would now live a 'profoundly better life,' according to reports from the BBC. The bears, named Bara, Rumi, Saebit, Yonggi, and Huimang, spent decades in poor conditions before being transported 5,500 miles to their new home.

The park launched a campaign to fund the rescue, raising over £90,000 towards a target of £200,000. The bears arrived on Thursday, having been kept at one of South Korea's last bear bile farms, which have now been banned in the country. The bile was used in traditional medicines, while the bears were often kept in small cages.

The wildlife park created a new reserve specifically for the rescued bears, named Moon Bear Islands, where they can climb, swim, and rest in a natural setting for the first time. Jimmy Doherty, founder of the park, said it was 'heartbreaking to see' what the bears had been through, adding, 'I will never forget meeting the bears for the first time.

This marks the first time Asiatic black bears have been brought to Britain from South Korea's bear bile industry, according to reports from the Colchester Gazette. The bears arrived in the UK on Thursday, September 10, and are now settling into their specially designed habitat.

What's still developing

Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park near Ipswich and its charity, Space for the Wild, transported the animals 5,500 miles (8,850km) to their new forever home at the park.
South Korea banned the breeding and possession of the bears last year, along with the extraction of bile from their gallbladders.
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Powered by Bury Free Press, Suffolk Free Press, Newmarket Journal & Haverhill Echo Powered by Bury Free Press, Suffolk Free Press, Newmarket Journal and Haverhill Echo A group of bears from South Korea have found their forever home at a Suffolk wildlife park after a 5,500-mile rescue mission.
Five moon bears arrive at Jimmy's Farm after being rescued from South Korea (Image: Jimmy's Farm) Five rescued moon bears have arrived at their new home near Colchester after a 5,500-mile journey.
5 Essex farm shops that could rival Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat Uttlesford Council announces winners of garden competition "I couldn’t be more grateful to all involved." The bears arrived in the UK on Thursday, September 10 and are now settling into their specially designed habitat, Moon Bear Islands.

Sources

Colchester Gazettelink