A British wildlife campaigner has helped rescue five bears from cramped cages at one of South Korea’s last remaining bile farms, flying them 5,500 miles to a new life in the UK.
TV farmer Jimmy Doherty played a key role in freeing the Asiatic black bears, which had spent more than 20 years confined behind rusting metal bars.
The bears — Bara, Rumi, Saebit, Yong-gi and Huimang — have since arrived at Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park near Ipswich in Suffolk.
Announcing their arrival on social media on Wednesday, Jimmy said: ‘Six months ago, I stood in South Korea and met these bears for the first time.
‘I saw the cages they had lived in and made them a promise: I would do everything I could to bring them home.
‘Today, that promise has become a reality.’
The operation is the first relocation of moon bears to the UK.
After being removed from the farm, the animals recovered at a specialist veterinary facility and were declared fit enough to make the journey.
‘This is the beginning of the end of their long life in those terrible conditions on that terrible bile farm,’ said Jimmy, who is a patron of the wildlife charity Space for the Wild.
‘I can’t tell you how overjoyed we are. It’s been a long, long journey.’
The bears were transported in specially designed crates under the supervision of vets and experienced animal handlers.
A bear explores their new surroundings in Suffolk after being rescued from one of South Korea’s last bile farms
A bear crosses over a bridge at the wildlife park in Suffolk, after making a safe arrival in the UK
Jimmy Doherty, patron of wildlife charity Space for the Wild, said: ‘This is the beginning of the end of their long life in those terrible conditions on that terrible bile farm’
The bears now live in a purpose-built woodland reserve known as Moon Bear Islands, containing trees, grass, running water and pools
A bear enjoys a swim after being rescued from a bile farm in South Korea, where the animals were kept in tiny cages
They will now live in a purpose-built woodland reserve known as Moon Bear Islands, containing trees, grass, running water and pools.
The enclosure will allow the animals to forage, climb and swim after spending much of their lives standing on concrete.
Moon bears are Asiatic black bears named after the distinctive pale, crescent-shaped markings on their chests.
The five bears were reportedly taken from their mothers as cubs before being confined at the bile farm.
Bara, the oldest of the group, arrived there in 1998 and remained in the same filthy metal cage for 27 years.
He had reportedly never encountered a pool of water before his rescue, but began exploring a bath while recovering at the veterinary centre.
Siblings Yong-gi and Rumi spent almost two decades sharing a single barren cage, while Saebit was said to have protected the smaller Huimang during their years in captivity.
Jimmy said: ‘Seeing them trapped in tiny cages after decades on a bear bile farm was heartbreaking.’
Bear farming began in South Korea in the early 1980s, when animals were imported from Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia.
They were bred and kept for their bile and gallbladders which were used in traditional medicine and products believed to improve vitality.
The bile contains ursodeoxycholic acid, which can be used to treat some liver and gallstone conditions, although synthetic alternatives are widely available.
The industry grew significantly before falling out of favour amid concerns over animal cruelty and declining demand.
Around 1,000 bears were still being kept on South Korean farms in 2014.
A landmark agreement was reached between the government, farmers and animal welfare organisations in 2022 to bring the trade to an end.
Breeding bears, possessing them for farming and extracting their bile were formally banned from January 1, 2026.
TV farmer Jimmy helped liberate the Asiatic black bears after they spent more than two decades confined behind rusty metal bars
The animals have now arrived at Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park near Ipswich
Jimmy said: ‘Six months ago, I stood in South Korea and met these bears for the first time. I saw the cages they had lived in and made them a promise: I would do everything I could to bring them home. Today, that promise has become a reality’
The bears were transported in specially designed crates under the supervision of vets and experienced animal handlers
The five bears relocated to Suffolk are among the first to be offered a permanent home overseas.
Jimmy warned: ‘There’s still much more to do.
‘There are still 200 bears left here in South Korea that need help.
‘We’re working with our counterparts here in South Korea to hopefully find more homes for those other bears.’
Space for the Wild and Jimmy’s Farm launched the Bears Behind Bars campaign to fund the animals’ release, veterinary care, transport and new reserve.
The appeal has raised more than £90,000 from around 3,700 donations.
The bears will initially be given time to settle away from visitors while their health and behaviour are closely monitored.
Members of the public will eventually be able to see them once keepers are satisfied they have adapted to their new surroundings.