Latest news with #bearbrothers
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Rescued bear brothers move to new enclosure
Two brown bear brothers rescued from a cage near a restaurant in Azerbaijan and brought to the Isle of Wight have finally got to explore their new home. Benji and Balu arrived at Wildheart Animal Sanctuary in Sandown on 4 June. Public donations went towards the almost £218,000 raised for their transport and a brand new enclosure for the pair. The brothers have been kept in a holding pen while they settled on the island but were released on Friday into a new 3,500sqm space in-keeping with their natural environment. About two years ago, they were relocated by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan from a restaurant, where they had been kept to attract customers, to a temporary shelter. Wildheart Animal Sanctuary started fundraising to rehome the bears having become aware of their situation in May 2024. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Bear brothers kept in cage arrive at sanctuary Wildheart Animal Sanctuary
BBC News
19-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Rescued bears 'making good progress' ahead of enclosure move
Two bear brothers are making good progress after being resceued by a wildlife sanctuary, staff have and Balu were rescued from a cage near a restaurant in Azerbaijan and brought to the Isle of pair arrived at Wildheart Animal Sanctuary in Sandown on 4 June, after the site fundraised almost £218,000 to rehome the say the bears were looking "quite thin" when they arrived, but are now doing well. About two years ago, the brothers were relocated by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan from a restaurant, where they had been kept to attract customers, to a temporary Animal Sanctuary started fundraising to rehome the bears, having become aware of their situation in May 2024, and now a brand new playground beckons for the Bates, chief executive officer at Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, said: "Their diet hadn't been great where they were at. They provided them with what they could to be fair, but that wasn't a varied diet."So the bears were quite thin, by our standards. You could see their hips, you could see some of their spine." The bears are set to be released from their holding pen into a new 3,500 sq m (3,7673 sq ft) enclosure on they have settled, head of bear section Lucie Francis said the team would work on increasing their diet."We're working on a very seasonal diet, so it will fluctuate through the year with the natural season and the availability that they would have in the wild," she said."Come towards the end of the summer, we will be introducing things like fish and we will be increasing that quantity of food as well." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
