Sweden’s Brown Bear Diego Rescued
On November 2nd, Sweden’s brown bear Diego was rescued and moved to Devon, UK. Sweden’s Orsa Predator Park is set to shut down and any animal that did not have a rescue home was said to be put down. When the Wildwood Trust heard this, they couldn’t just leave the bear to die. They went to Sweden to rescue two polar bears but came back with one extra adorable bear.
Brown bear Diego was the last remaining bear at the Sweden Zoo. If he was not rescued, he would have been euthanized. The Wildwood Trust team prepared to have the best travel by ferry but due to a bad storm, they changed their plans. Instead, Diego the brown bear got to travel in style, by Eurostar train.
The brown bear had his own carriage and stayed awake for the ride. Diego arrived at the Wildwood Trust enclosure around ten at night. Mark Habben, Wildwood Trust’s Director of Zoo Operations, said, “It was pitch black and pouring with rain and very windy so it was a challenge but Diego was in a dry warm crate and settled well into his enclosure.”
Diego will be staying at the Dover residence during his hibernation period. While he is snoozing away, his new enclosure will be built at
Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park, in Ipswich, Suffolk. The founder of the park Jimmy Doherty said Wildwood Trust are experts in their field, so I am delighted Diego will spend his torpor there over the winter period.”
Wildwood Trust already has two brown bears which they rescued in 2019 from Albania. Lucy and Mish were abandoned but their parents and left orphaned before the Dover team came to their rescue. Needless to say, the 360kg brown bear Diego is in good hands.
