Become a Moon Bear Champion and leave your mark on their story.
BECOME A MOON BEAR CHAMPION (£80) →
(more details below)
Become a Moon Bear Champion and leave your mark on their story.
BECOME A MOON BEAR CHAMPION (£80) →
(more details below)
From Behind Bars to Freedom
For more than two decades, these five Moon Bears lived in small metal cages on one of South Korea’s last bear bile farms.
They had never felt grass beneath their feet. They had never foraged in woodland, splashed in a pool or looked up at an open sky.
When we first met them, we imagined a different life.
We imagined them stepping outside without bars around them. Tasting fresh water. Exploring, climbing, swimming and making their own choices.
Thanks to the determination of everyone involved, that dream has come true.
The five bears have travelled more than 5,500 miles from South Korea to the purpose-built woodland reserve at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park in Suffolk.
They are finally home.
We Could Not Have Done It Without You
This was an enormous international rescue involving specialist veterinary care, welfare assessments, legal approvals, bespoke transport crates, international flights and months of careful planning.
It was made possible by an extraordinary community of people.
Companies donated expertise, materials and financial support. Moon Bear Champions put their names behind the campaign. Families fundraised together. Children gave their pocket money. Thousands of people shared the bears’ story.
Every contribution, large or small, helped carry these bears from captivity to freedom.
To everyone who believed they deserved a second chance: thank you.
The Rescue Is Complete. The Fundraising Is Not.
The bears are safely home, but the campaign has not yet raised enough to cover the full cost of bringing them here.
Space for the Wild committed to this rescue because the bears could not wait. Their welfare had to come first, even while fundraising continued.
Your donation will help meet the outstanding costs of the international rescue operation, including specialist transport, veterinary support, travel crates, legal documentation and the complex logistics required to bring five bears safely across the world. We are also putting last finishing touches to the bears new reserve including more trees, swings and enrichment toys as the bears learn how to play!
Help us complete the rescue.
Become a Moon Bear Champion
Become part of a rescue story that changed five lives forever.
For an £80 donation, you can become a Moon Bear Champion. Your name and personal message to the bears will be included on our supporters’ display, and you will receive your own numbered Moon Bear Champion certificate.
Your support will help complete this remarkable rescue and ensure Space for the Wild can continue standing up for animals that have nowhere else to turn.
Meet the Bears
For more than 20 years, these bears were known only by numbers.
Today, they have names, individual personalities and the freedom to explore their new woodland home.
These videos were filmed while the bears were receiving specialist veterinary care in South Korea, shortly before their journey to Suffolk. They offer an introduction to each of the five remarkable bears and the stories behind their names.
Meet the five remarkable Moon Bears and discover the story behind each of their names.
A New Life
Everything we hoped for while the bears remained forgotten in those cages is now becoming real.
For the first time, they can feel grass and soil beneath their paws. They can look up at the sky, drink fresh water, forage, explore and cool off in their pools.
They are being given the time and space to settle at their own pace, supported by the specialist animal care team at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park.
After a lifetime of having no choices, they can finally begin living as bears should.
There Are More Bears Waiting
These five bears are safe. Others are not.
Across the world, bears are still living in captivity, exploitation and conditions no animal should have to endure.
This rescue has shown what is possible when people come together. Five bears who once appeared forgotten are now exploring a woodland home of their own.
With your help, Space for the Wild can continue supporting vital rescue and conservation work and give more animals the second chance they deserve.
Fundraise with us
Want to do more than donate?
Our Bears Behind Bars fundraising pack contains ideas and resources for individuals, schools, community groups and businesses.
Whether you arrange a sponsored challenge, hold an event or fundraise with colleagues, you can help complete this rescue story and build support for animals that still need us.
Leadership & Corporate Support
The rescue was made possible by businesses and organisations willing to contribute funding, materials, knowledge and specialist expertise.
We are still seeking partners to help complete the funding of this international rescue and support the next chapter of Space for the Wild’s work.
Explore Partnership Opportunities →
Download Fundraising Pack →