Friday 11 March 2016

The unique Bear ‘Bromance’ that has been 16 years in the waiting

  

The unique Bear ‘Bromance’ that has been 16 years in the waiting as Wildwood's rescued brown bears become the best of friends.....






Video on youtube here: https://youtu.be/tnEXNvatJ-c
In emotional and touching scenes at Wildwood Trust yesterday, our two brown bears became the best of friends. In an essential but extremely risky operation, which has been over a year in the making, has resulted in these two wonderful bears coming together for the first time.  The moments have been captured and can be seen on photo and video.

The two rescued bears had lived in solitary confinement for all of their 16 years, locked in cells and with no contact to other animals, before coming to Wildwood. The bears could not be easily introduced to each other, but yesterday they finally came together feeling the warmth of friendship of a fellow bear for the first time.

The experts at Wildwood Trust have been working tirelessly to restore both the physical and mental health of these bears and, finally, we have rehabilitated them to a state where they could be safely mixed together.

Many of the volunteers and staff have been on tenterhooks this week, unsure of how the mixing would go, as the bears could  easily hurt  one another and, therefore, setback their journey to recovery But everything has gone well. The pictures and video of their first meeting show the warmth and friendship they  displayed when coming together, a vital step in their journey to live out there years in happiness and contentment.

Peter Smith, Wildwood’s CEO, said; “last year our members rallied to our call to help support the rescue of the bears from Bulgaria. It is wonderful that the generosity of our supporters raised over £120,000 to give the bears a better life, Now they can have that generosity rewarded by another milestone achieved in the bear's long road to recovery.”

“After enduring lives of terrible neglect and suffering, the bears have required many months of costly care and rehabilitation to bring them back to full physical health. The bears can now enjoy the company of each other and this is a significant step to their full mental recuperation.”
This work will continue for years to come and Wildwood's members can now share in that journey as they observe the bears, together in their woodland home. Key to the successful rehabilitation of the bears will be their large 1.5 acre woodland enclosure and the many naturel enrichment features which have been installed such as native fruit trees, dens and bear ‘play equipment’.
The bears will be in their woodland home for visitors to take a peak over the Easter & there are a few places for lucky visitors who can book a more personal introduction to the bears in our special Bear Experiences: more info http://www.wildwoodtrust.org/bearexperience.html . All profits go towards our charitable work.
Video can be seen on our youtube channel of the bears meeting for the first time here: https://youtu.be/tnEXNvatJ-c
Or you can watch the dramatic bear rescue on YouTube with Wildwood's Peter Smith & BBC's Mike Dilger: https://youtu.be/vgjJ1fzh-pU

Wildwood Trust: 01227 712 111
Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay, Nr Canterbury, Kent CT6 7L
Registered Charity No. 1093702

ABOUT THE BEARS OF KORMISOSH
How old are the bears? What sex are they? Were they born at the breeding centre?
The bears are both male and were born in 1998 at Kormisosh so will be around 16 when they arrive at Wildwood. They have been there all their life, alone, and have never seen the outside of their concrete enclosure.
What state are they in, are they heathy?
They have been fed bland porridge-type food all their lives, nothing else. So while they are surviving and receive enough food for sustenance, they are in poor health as they do not receive the essential vitamins/minerals/variety of food that they need.
They have never been outside their concrete pens. So aside from their physical health, mentally they are suffering too - they receive no enrichment or any form of entertainment at all. For such intelligent, active and inquisitive animals it really is torturous for them.
Who looks after them?
They where fed by 2 elderly locals from the nearby village. Alertis (a charity dedicated to finding new homes for the bears) staff also monitor the bears and try and carry out health checks when they can.
What have wildwood done to help the bears?
The bears have undergone a wide-range of health checks and procedures. They have responded exceptionally well to our long-term care plan to improve their diet and build their physical health. The biggest task has been their slow rehabilitation to teach them how to display their natural behaviour. This has been a huge challenge but we are extremely lucky to a team of expert advisors and committed volunteers and staff

FOLLOW US
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildwoodtrust
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WildwoodTrust
Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thewildwoodtrust




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The unique Bear ‘Bromance’ that has been 16 years in the waiting

  

The unique Bear ‘Bromance’ that has been 16 years in the waiting as Wildwood's rescued brown bears become the best of friends.....


Video on youtube here: https://youtu.be/tnEXNvatJ-c

In emotional and touching scenes at Wildwood Trust yesterday, our two brown bears became the best of friends. In an essential but extremely risky operation, which has been over a year in the making, has resulted in these two wonderful bears coming together for the first time.  The moments have been captured and can be seen on photo and video.

The two rescued bears had lived in solitary confinement for all of there 16 years, locked in cells and with no contact to other animals, before coming to Wildwood. The bears could not be easily introduced to each other , but yesterday they finally came together feeling the warmth of friendship of a fellow bear for the first time.

The experts at Wildwood Trust have been working tirelessly to restore both the physical and mental health of these bears and, finally, we have rehabilitated them to a state where they could be safely mixed together.
Many of the volunteers and staff have been on tenterhooks this week, unsure of how the mixing would go, as the bears could  easily hurt  one another and, therefore, setback their journey to recovery But everything has gone well. The pictures and video of their first meeting show the warmth and friendship they  displayed when coming together, a vital step in their journey to live out there years in happiness and contentment.

Peter Smith, Wildwood’s CEO, said; “last year the whole of Kent rallied to our call to help support the rescue of the bears from Bulgaria. It is wonderful that the generosity of the people of Kent, who raised over £120,000 to give the bears a better life, can have that generosity rewarded by another milestone in the their rehabilitation.”

“After enduring lives of terrible neglect and suffering, the bears have required many months of costly care and rehabilitation to bring them back to full physical health. The bears can now enjoy the company of each other and this is a significant step to their full mental recuperation.”

This work will continue for years to come and visitors to Wildwood can now share in that journey as they observe the bears, together in there large woodland home. Key to the successful rehabilitation of the bears will be their large 1.5 acre woodland enclosure and the many naturel enrichment features which have been installed such as native fruit trees, dens and bear ‘play equipment’.
The bears will be in their woodland home for visitors to take a peak over the Easter & there are a few places for lucky visitors who can book a more personal introduction to the bears in our special Bear Experiences: more info http://www.wildwoodtrust.org/bearexperience.html . All profits go towards our charitable work.
For more info please call Wildwood Trust on 01227 712 111 www.wildwoodtrust.org

****************ends*********************
High resolution images and broadcast quality High Definition Video footage of the bears meeting for the first time is available by download or request. Also similar footage of bears’ journey from Bulgaria to Wildwood is available.
Phot Credit: Dave Butcher, Wildwood Trust
CONTACT
Peter Smith: peter@wildwoodtrust.org 01227 712111
Fiona Paterson: fiona@wildwoodtrust.org 01227712111
Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay, Nr Canterbury, Kent CT6 7LQ
Registered Charity No. 1093702


RELATED CONTENT
To download the images  visit our Dropbox account (folder: Wildwood bears in new…closure):
email:news@wildwoodtrust.org
pword: wildwoodpics
Video can be sent by dropbox or wetransfer or ripped from our youtube channel here: https://youtu.be/tnEXNvatJ-c
Wildwood Trust: +44(0)1227 712 111
Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay, Nr Canterbury, Kent CT6 7L
Registered Charity No. 1093702
RELATED CONTENT
Watch the Wildwood bear rescue appeal video: http://youtu.be/wzJUqafcbMs
ABOUT THE BEARS OF KORMISOSH
How old are the bears? What sex are they? Were they born at the breeding centre?
The bears are both male and were born in 1998 at Kormisosh so will be around 16 when they arrive at Wildwood. They have been there all their life, alone, and have never seen the outside of their concrete enclosure.
What state are they in, are they heathy?
They have been fed bland porridge-type food all their lives, nothing else. So while they are surviving and receive enough food for sustenance, they are in poor health as they do not receive the essential vitamins/minerals/variety of food that they need.
They have never been outside their concrete pens. So aside from their physical health, mentally they are suffering too - they receive no enrichment or any form of entertainment at all. For such intelligent, active and inquisitive animals it really is torturous for them.
Who looks after them?
They where fed by 2 elderly locals from the nearby village. Alertis (a charity dedicated to finding new homes for the bears) staff also monitor the bears and try and carry out health checks when they can.
What have wildwood done to help the bears?
The bears have undergone a wide-range of health checks and procedures. They have responded exceptionally well to our long-term care plan to improve their diet and build their physical health. The biggest task has been their slow rehabilitation to teach them how to display their natural behaviour. This has been a huge challenge but we are extremely lucky to a team of expert advisors and committed volunteers and staff

FOLLOW US
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildwoodtrust
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WildwoodTrust
Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thewildwoodtrust
EDITOR'S NOTES
Wildwood Trust opened in 1999 as a centre of excellence for the conservation of British wildlife, and was established as a registered charity in 2002. Wildwood is Kent's best British wildlife park. Home to over 200 native animals, past and present and set in 40 acres of beautiful ancient woodland, see wolves, bison, deer, owls, foxes, red squirrels, wild boar, lynx, wild horses, badgers and beavers plus many more. As one of the leading British animal conservation charities in the UK Wildwood Trust is dedicated to saving Britain's most threatened wildlife. Wildwood Trust have taken part in many ground-breaking conservation programmes to date, which include, saving the water vole, using wild horses to help restore Kent's most precious nature reserves, bringing the extinct European beaver back to Britain and returning the hazel dormouse & red squirrel to areas where they have been made extinct.



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Tuesday 1 March 2016

Press invite - Wildwood Community Harvest Mouse Hunt

  

Press invite – Wildwood Community Harvest Mouse Hunt
Sunday 6th March

Wildwood Trust, Kent’s unique British wildlife park and conservation charity, is holding an amazing Community Harvest Mouse Hunt in the Herne Bay/Whitstable area on Sunday 6th March.

The community-based event, thought to be the first of its kind in Kent, is part of The Kent Harvest mouse project; Wildwood’s ambitious conservation initiative to compile a complete record of harvest mouse populations throughout the county.

In the true spirit of 'Citizen Science', Wildwood is asking people from all backgrounds to come along, have some fun and help in the search, as well as to learn all about these beautiful creatures.

Volunteers will:

- Help to search for evidence of harvest mice and record their findings.

- Have a chance to meet a tiny harvest mouse, Britain’s smallest rodent.

- See examples of harvest mouse nests.

- Learn all about the lives of harvest mice.

- Discover the natural history of their local area.


Project coordinator, Steve Kirk said “We are so excited about hosting this community event. It will be a fantastic day for anyone who wants to learn about the wildlife on their doorstep and help us in our work to save the harvest mouse.”

The event is completely free and people of all ages and experience are welcome. Training will be given on how to survey for harvest mice and above all, Wildwood wants all of the volunteers to have lots of fun and learn about the wildlife living in their local area.

 

About the Kent Harvest Mouse Survey

The tiny harvest mouse is the least studied; and therefore the least understood, of all British mice. Due to their small size, they are rarely observed and difficult to accurately monitor in the wild. Experts believe that the species may be in decline but without more data on their distribution this is difficult to prove.

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Kent Harvest Mouse Survey is a 'Citizen Science' project, which aims to enable communities in Kent to get involved in assessing the distribution of harvest mice across the whole county (possibly to create a model to replicate in other areas). This data is essential for conservationists in order to best decide how to help the species in the future.

The 4-year project aims to involve a total of around 600 volunteers (from different demographic groups i.e. not just conservation experts) across different parts of Kent. So far Wildwood has been working with a variety of individual volunteers, and hopes that this new community-based event will help to engage an even wider audience.
 

Press are welcome to come along and cover the event:

Sunday 6th March

10.30am – 12.30pm (approx. finish time)

Meet near the Tankerton Skate Park on Marine Parade (Swalecliffe end)

For more info please call Wildwood Trust on 01227 712 111

For more information about Wildwood Trust and the Kent Harvest Mouse Survey, please visit: www.wildwoodtrust.org

*****************ends*****************

RELATED CONTENT

To download the images at the top of this email, visit our Dropbox account (folder: Harvest Mice):

https://www.dropbox.com

email:news@wildwoodtrust.org
pword: wildwoodpics

 

CONTACT
Wildwood Trust: +44(0)1227 712 111

Fiona Paterson – fiona@wildwoodtrust.org

Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay, Nr Canterbury, Kent CT6 7L

Registered Charity No. 1093702

FOLLOW US
Find us on Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/thewildwoodtrust

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WildwoodTrust

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thewildwoodtrust
 

EDITOR'S NOTES​

About Wildwood Trust
Wildwood Trust opened in 1999 as a centre of excellence for the conservation of British wildlife, and was established as a registered charity in 2002. Wildwood is Kent's best British wildlife park. Home to over 200 native animals, past and present and set in 40 acres of beautiful ancient woodland, see wolves, bison, deer, owls, foxes, red squirrels, wild boar, lynx, wild horses, badgers and beavers plus many more. As one of the leading British animal conservation charities in the UK Wildwood Trust is dedicated to saving Britain's most threatened wildlife. Wildwood Trust have taken part  in many ground-breaking conservation programmes to date, which include, saving the water vole, using wild horses to help restore Kent's most precious nature reserves, bringing the extinct European beaver back to Britain and returning the hazel dormouse & red squirrel to areas where they have been made extinct.

 

About the Heritage Lottery Fund
Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. www.hlf.org.uk @heritagelottery

 

Fiona Paterson
Wildwood Trust

Email: fiona@wildwoodtrust.org – Tel:  01227 712111

Any opinions expressed in this e-mail are those of the individual and not necessarily the company. This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient or person responsible for delivering to the intended recipient, be advised that you have received this e-mail in error and that any use is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, advise the sender immediately by using the reply facility in your e-mail software

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