New home for bears

Four endangered brown bears have been brought from Japan to a new life in Britain following a precision-planned 5,000mile transport operation.

Riku, Kai, Hanako and Amu had been living in outdated cages at the Ainu Cultural Museum, on the island of Hokkaido, and urgently needed new facilities, according to staff at their new home at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

The attraction – which has become a second home to scores of animals from lions to polar bears in the last decade – said it stepped in when it became clear there was no capacity in Japanese zoos.

It said a detailed operation was put together over the last 0 The brown bears were kept in tiny cages at Japan museum

two months to ensure a safe 5,400-mile journey to the UK.

YWP animal manager Debbie Porter said: “I actually took a photo of the empty cages because you think for 27 years they have been in that tiny caging. It was a very emotional day. “