Rescued Moon Bears Find New Home in Suffolk
Five bears, previously held in South Korean bile farms, have been transported to Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park.
Five moon bears, rescued from years of confinement on a bile farm in South Korea, have arrived at their new sanctuary in Suffolk, England. The animals were transported over 5,500 miles (8,850 km) to Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park near Ipswich, where a dedicated reserve has been created for them.
The bears, named Bara, Rumi, Saebit, Yonggi, and Huimang, were kept in cages at one of South Korea's last bear bile farms, a practice that has since been banned in the country. These farms extracted bile from the bears' gallbladders for use in traditional medicine, often while the animals were kept in poor conditions.
Jimmy Doherty, founder of the wildlife park and its charity Space for the Wild, described the conditions the bears endured as "hell on earth." He stated that seeing their plight made the team more determined to provide them with a "profoundly better life." Doherty expressed deep gratitude to everyone involved in the rescue and transport, highlighting the public's support.
The newly established reserve at Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park is designed to offer the bears opportunities to climb, swim, and rest in a naturalistic environment. The park has raised over £90,000 towards its £200,000 target to fund the rescue operation and the creation of the sanctuary.
South Korea's ban on the breeding and possession of bears, along with the extraction of bile, came into effect last year, marking a significant step in animal welfare for the country.