Latest news with #BenjiBalu
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Bears kept in cage in Azerbaijan arrive at Isle of Wight sanctuary
Two brown bears previously kept in cage near a restaurant in Azerbaijan have arrived at their new home - an animal sanctuary on the Isle of being flown almost 3,000 miles to Glasgow, Benji and Balu travelled to Portsmouth before crossing the Solent to the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary at Sandown on the island's south-east sanctuary fundraised almost £218,000 over a year to build a new home and pay for travel costs to rehome the bears, who arrived on the island late on Wednesday morning, were "keen to explore their new surroundings", the sanctuary said. But it added the pair would remain out of public view in their new surroundings while they settled in. The sanctuary said their new enclosure with "grass, trees, ponds and dens for be a massive departure from the life the two brothers have endured previously"."We will provide them with bespoke care plans to ensure that they recover from the trauma they have experienced, with a forever home that will allow them to be bears again," they were moved by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan from the restaurant where they were kept to attract customers about two years ago to a temporary shelter. The sanctuary said: "We will provide them with bespoke care plans to ensure that they recover from the trauma they have experienced, with a forever home that will allow them to be bears again."Wildheart Animal Sanctuary started fundraising to rehome the bears having become aware of their plight in May 2024. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Bears kept inhumanely in Azerbaijan to be rehomed in UK
Two bears are set to be rehomed at an animal sanctuary in the UK after being discovered "emaciated" and injured at a restaurant in than £225,000 has been raised by the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, on the Isle of Wight, to build a "world-leading" facility which will be used to rehome Benji and two bears are thought to have been kept in inhumane conditions in a cage on the side of a restaurant, until their captivity was ruled to be been saved by Azerbaijani charity, Good World Animal Rescue and Protection (GWARP), the bears are expected to be transported to the UK within the next month. "Brothers Benji and Balu have lived a life of misery in a tiny cage on the side of a restaurant in Azerbaijan," the sanctuary said."Bored, hungry and suffering from serious injuries, these bears were kept there as nothing more than a novelty to attract customers." They were discovered "emaciated and in a very poor condition", caged in the woods with 13 other bears by animal welfare charity GWARP, which has since been caring for become aware of Benji and Balu in May 2024, Wildheart Animal Sanctuary fundraised hundreds of thousands of pounds to build a home for the 3500 sq m (37,700 sq ft) facility can host up to four bears, with the brothers set to become its first residents next month. "There are so many bears in need of rescue across Europe and a lack of facilities or space to house these bears who cannot be returned to the wild," the sanctuary's marketing director Lee Saudan said."We will provide them with bespoke care plans to ensure that they recover from the trauma they have experienced, with a forever home that will allow them to be bears again, with ponds and a stream, grass, trees, and places to hibernate, none of which they have every experienced before," he and Balu are expected to be flown on a flight sponsored by the airline Cargolux from Baku to their new home on the Isle of Wight in June. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
