Scottish zoo re-homes black bear which survived war in Ukraine

Yampil, a 12-year-old Asiatic black bear, that was rescued from a zoo in Donetsk, Ukraine explores his new surroundings on his first day in his new home at the Five Sisters Zoo near Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain on Jan 12, 2024.
PHOTO: Reuters

PUBLISHED ONJANUARY 12, 2024 

LONDON — An Asiatic black bear which was found in an abandoned zoo in eastern Ukraine five months after Russia's invasion in 2022, arrived at his new permanent home in Scotland on Friday (Jan 12).

Yampil, named after the village in the Donetsk region where he was found, was one of only a few out of 200 animals at the zoo to survive.

After being rescued, he was cared for by a Belgian charity before his more than 12-hour journey to Five Sisters Zoo, around 20 miles west of Edinburgh.

"When the volunteers found Yampil, a shell had not long exploded near his cage, and he was concussed. He was in terrible condition; five more days and they wouldn't have been able to save him," Brian Curran, owner of Five Sisters Zoo, said.

"We have the best team on hand to care for him and help make this transition as peaceful and calm for him as possible."

Yampil will be housed in a temporary enclosure while the zoo, which has previously re-homed bears from travelling circuses, fundraises for his new permanent enclosure.