Journalist brings five bears from 5,500 miles away

British conservationist and television farmer Jimmy Doherty has rescued five Asiatic black bears from a bear bile farm in South Korea and brought them 5,500 miles away to the UK.

Bara, Rumi, Seybit, Yon-gi, and Huimang were kept in rusty iron cages for over 20 years. They are now housed at Jimmy's Farm and Wildlife Park near Ipswich in Suffolk. Need To Know reported this.

Jimmy shared information about the rescue on social media on September 16. He said that six months ago he visited South Korea, saw the bears living in harsh conditions, and promised to bring them to Britain.

This marks the first-ever relocation of Asiatic black bears to the UK. The animals removed from the farm recovered at a special veterinary facility and, after being deemed healthy for travel, were transported in special containers.

What kind of life awaits the bears now?

The bears will live in a special woodland area called “Moon Bear Islands.” Here, there are trees, green spaces, running water, and ponds, giving them the chance after many years to forage for food, climb trees, and swim in the water.

It is reported that all five bears were separated from their mothers when they were cubs. Among them, the oldest, Bara, was brought to the farm in 1998 and kept in the same filthy iron cage for 27 years. Until his rescue, he had barely seen a pool, and at the veterinary center, he explored the water in a bathtub with great curiosity for the first time.

The brothers Yon-gi and Rumi lived in the same cage for nearly 20 years. Meanwhile, Seybit had protected the younger Huimang in captivity.

In South Korea, keeping bears on farms began in the early 1980s. Their bile and gallbladders were used in traditional medicine. Bear bile contains ursodeoxycholic acid, which is used to treat certain liver diseases and gallstones, though synthetic alternatives also exist.

In 2014, nearly 1,000 bears were kept on farms across the country. In 2022, the government, farmers, and animal protection organizations reached an agreement to end the trade.

Starting January 1, 2026, breeding bears, keeping them for farming purposes, and extracting bile from them was officially banned.

However, around 200 bears in South Korea still need help. Jimmy Doherty stated that he is working with local partners to find new homes for them as well.

The organizations Space for the Wild and Jimmy's Farm launched the “Bears Behind Bars” campaign to support the rescue efforts. Through it, more than £90,000 has been raised from nearly 3,700 donations.

Initially, the bears will be kept away from visitors to adapt to their new environment. Once they fully adjust, the public will also have the opportunity to see them.