Sidmouth: Bear cubs move into new home near Ottery St Mary

Two orphan brown bear cubs have moved into a new British home after being rescued from the Albanian wilderness.

Mish and Lucy, who were found after being abandoned by their mother in Albania three years ago, have now settled into their new enclosure in Devon.

Wildwood Escot, near Ottery St Mary, said the bears would not have been unable to survive in the wild and it was 'heartwarming' to see them move in.

Wildwood said it wanted to give the bears an enclosure which had been left 'as natural as possible with the aim of creating a lifelong habitat'.

The aim was to create a 'lifelong habitat for the bears', said Wildwood.

Mark Habben, director of zoo operations, said: "All the bears we have at Wildwood have been rescued and would be unable to survive in the wild.

"That's why it's been our absolute priority to give them a happy and healthy life and encourage their natural behaviours such as torpor."

The bears, who were rescued in 2019, were kept briefly in Belgium, unable to return back to the wild "for their own safety", before being brought to Escot in June 2021 when a £250,000 appeal was launched to build the enclosure.

George Hyde, Wildwood Escot general manager, said: "They're the first bears we've ever had at Escot and have become firm favourites with our visitors."

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