Showing the true spirit of Christmas, leading British wildlife conservation charity Wildwood Trust has welcomed a bouncing bear cub into the family fold after he was rejected by his mother.
Ten-month-old ‘Boki’ has spent his first few nights at the park, near Herne Bay, after following yonder star to the wise men of Wildwood with their world-renowned team of bear rehabilitation experts.
Boki, who has been hand-reared by keepers at Port Lympne Reserve Park after being rejected by the brown bear group, will now learn how to behave like a bear under the guidance of his new adoptive family.
The Trust’s Director of Zoo Operations Mark Habben said:Â “From the second Boki arrived here at Wildwood, he settled straight into his new enclosure. He’s been inquisitive, enthusiastic about playing and exploring his new habitat – even jumping into the pond for the first time.
“We’re delighted to have him here and our expert team of bear keepers are really looking forward to a future with this young bear.”
Boki’s new home is just next door to the park’s ever-popular adult male bears Fluff and Scruff, who are currently in torpor. Wildwood is one of the few wildlife parks in the UK to encourage this natural bear behaviour, which sees the bears sleep deeply for weeks or months with only short periods of activity in between.
The trust received worldwide acclaim for its rehabilitation of the duo, who were rescued in Bulgaria eight years ago. With the help of their expert keepers, they are now showing natural behaviours such as foraging and undergoing torpor after suffering years of physical and mental trauma when they were held in an abandoned breeding facility under horrific conditions to be shot for ‘sport’.
It was as a result of the charity’s impressive reputation in this field that the team was contacted to help provide a permanent woodland sanctuary for two abandoned bear cubs, Mish and Lucy, who now live at the Trust’s sister park in Devon.
Boki’s arrival at the park has already been well received by visitors and supporters, who can now book a once-in-a-lifetime ‘bear experience’ for themselves or a loved one, which will bring them within touching distance of the cub. The experience will include exclusive behind the scenes access to the cub and the chance to scatter a feed before meeting him and giving him a treat in his enclosure.
Human interaction is essential to Boki’s wellbeing as he is slowly weaned from his hand-reared upbringing and learns bear behaviours such as foraging.
For something a little more hands-off, there is also the chance to adopt the cub. Adoptions last for one year and are the perfect gift for any animal lover. They include a certificate of adoption, personalised plaque at the enclosure, photograph and an animal fact sheet as well as a free one-day entrance ticket to the park.
All proceeds from animal adoptions and experiences help Wildwood’s vital work to conserve, protect and rewild British wildlife. To find out more, visit kent.wildwoodtrust.org
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