Five Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) have arrived at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park in the UK after travelling approximately 5,500 miles, or 8,850 kilometres, from South Korea.
Bara, Rumi, Saebit, Yonggi and Huimang came from a former bear bile farm. Their transfer follows months of work led by Space for the Wild, the official charity of Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park, in partnership with the Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA).
Among them is Bara, who had lived at the bear bile farm since 1998.
Their arrival comes in the same year that South Korea brought its bear bile farming industry to an end. Following years of work by animal welfare organisations, the industry was outlawed in the country on 1 January 2026.
The end of bear bile farming, however, also created the need to find suitable homes for animals remaining at former farms.
A new woodland home for the five bears
Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park has created a dedicated woodland reserve called Moon Bear Islands for Bara, Rumi, Saebit, Yonggi and Huimang, designed around the bears’ welfare needs.
Preparing for their arrival involved fundraising and construction work as well as veterinary requirements, international permits and the logistical challenge of safely moving five large carnivores between continents.
After travelling around 5,500 miles, the bears are now settling into their new surroundings in the UK.
Asiatic black bears are also commonly known as “moon bears”, a name referring to the distinctive pale crescent-shaped marking on their chest. The new Moon Bear Islands reserve takes its name from this characteristic.
