Christmas events at Wildwood

Festive Christmas Fun at Wildwood   Come along to Wildwood this Christmas for lots of Festive Fun Including Santa's woodland grotto and our FREE Festive Fete!     Meet Santa at Wildwood Meet Santa in his woodland grotto   Santa will be at Wildwood once again this year in his woodland grotto to meet all the (good) boys and girls. Every child will receive a special present and a photograph.   Sat 6th & Sun 7th Dec Sat 13th & Sun 14th Dec Sat 20th & Sun 21st Dec Mon 22nd, Tues 23rd & Wed 24th Dec   £8 per child To book your visit call 01227 712 111       FREE Festive Fete - Saturday 13th Dec An evening of festive fun in aid of our rescued bears   Grand Raffle Draw Live Christmas Music Meet Santa* Fun Stalls Festive Food & Drink Woodland Story Walk to the Reindeer Childrens' Crafts*   *Charges apply   Saturday 13th December FREE entry from 5pm   Click here for more information or to purchase Raffle Tickets     Please buy raffle tickets to help build a new home for our rescued bears Tickets are on sale now for our Festive Fete Grand Raffle to build our rescued bears their "Forever Home" at Wildwood   Tickets cost £1 - all proceeds go towards helping our bears. Prizes include: - Eurostar Tickets to Paris, Lille or Brussels - Wildwood Experiences - Hornby Scalextric Set - Lunch for 2 at the Abode Restaurant, Canterbury - And many more!   The Grand Raffle will be drawn at the Festive Fete on Saturday 13th December.   Tickets cost £1 each - click here for the full list of prizes.   Buy tickets by phone:   01227 712 111   Office Hours: 9am - 5pm (Mon - Fri)     Buy tickets Online   CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS           Christmas trees on sale now   Beautiful Christmas trees on sale now at the Wildwood Shop   We have a selection of beautiful Christmas trees available to order or buy direct from the Wildwood shop   Locally sourced Finest quality trees Sustainably grown All proceeds support Wildwood   Norway Spruce, Nordman Fir and Blue Spruce trees available.   To order please call the Wildwood Shop on 01227 712 111   Click here for our full list of Christmas Trees & price list       Reindeer at Wildwood   Come along and see our beautiful reindeer this festive season.   Don't forget to say hello to our lovely pair of reindeer (Holly and Ivy) when you visit the park this Christmas!   We will have FREE reindeer talks and feeds every weekend in December!   Did you know....   Reindeer are the only deer species where both the males and females possess antlers.   Scientists believe that to for Santa complete his deliveries on Christmas eve, his reindeer fly at 1,800 miles per second!     Twilight Teas Last spaces remaining for our magical Children's Twilight Teas!   Enjoy a 2-course festive tea with Santa’s chief Elf, go on a woodland walk to meet the reindeer, make Christmas crafts and write letters to Santa. Each child will then meet Santa in his woodland grotto.   11th & 12th December: 4pm - 6pm   £20 per child. Includes Twilight Tea, Meet Santa, present and photograph.   To book call 01227 712 111   To book any event: To donate to Wildwood: call: 01227 712 111 Click here to donate online       From the Wildwood Team   Wildwood Trust   Herne Common, Herne Bay   Kent CT6 7LQ     Registered charity no. 1093702

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Rescued Bulgarian Bears arrive at Wildwood

**MEDIA ALERT**

Rescued Bulgarian Bears arrive at Wildwood

Wildwood Trust, Kent’s unique British wildlife park and conservation charity is today breathing a huge sigh of relief after successfully rescuing two brown bears from appalling lives of misery and neglect in Bulgaria.

The two males, both aged around 16 years, have been rescued from an abandoned bear breeding centre called Kormisosh in southern Bulgaria. Both animals were born in the centre and have been trapped inside ever since, enduring the harshest of living conditions. They have never left their barren concrete cells, have only ever had the most basic of food and care, and have been starved of mental stimulus to occupy their curious minds.

On hearing of their plight, the Wildwood team immediately launched into action. The charity set about raising £50,000 to build a special quarantine enclosure at their woodland wildlife park and to fund the costly transportation of the bears to Kent. The bears arrived safely at Wildwood at around 7pm Wednesday 5^th November after a 1,600 mile journey from the remote mountainous region where Kormisosh is based.

Peter Smith, Wildwood’s CEO, who was at the rescue in Bulgaria said:  “Seeing the bears in such terrible conditions with my own eyes was truly heart-breaking, but thanks to the amazing generosity of our donors, members and supporters the bears are now safely with us. We now need to start the enormous task of rehabilitating them and giving them the life they deserve.”

But this is not the end of the story. In fact, the arrival of the bears at Wildwood is just the start of their journey to recovery which will require even more time, money and dedication from the Wildwood team.

Due to the extremely high costs of looking after animals such as bears, Wildwood has taken a staggered approach to their rescue and rehabilitation. After raising the initial £50,000 needed to rescue the animals and build their quarantine enclosure, the Trust now needs to raise the funds to give them the happy, healthy lives they so desperately need.

What next for the bears?

The bears will now be quarantined for four months in their quarantine enclosure and will be off-view to the public for some or all this time. Wildwood will now need to raise the funds to build their woodland enclosure and provide them with much-needed facilities for their rehabilitation after years of neglect.

We still have a long way to go…

Woodland Enclosure: The quarantine area is situated within the much larger woodland enclosure, which will be the bears’ eventual home. In this huge area the bears will be free to play and explore, and to learn to display their natural behaviour after being denied such opportunities since birth. Wildwood now faces the mammoth task of fencing this area and preparing the woodland ensure to ensure it will be a suitable home for the bears.

Physical Rehabilitation: The bears have never experienced a natural environment and therefore do not know how to behave like bears. They have never been able to climb, swim or play which has left them weak and in need of physical exercise. Wildwood now needs to raise the funds to provide the bears with vital features in their enclosure such as a large water feature and climbing frame.

Enrichment Programmes: After living in such awful, barren conditions, the bears may be suffering with mental health problems or may be prone to stress. We need to ensure that their mental health is closely monitored and to provide mental stimulus to keep these intelligent animals happy and contented. Wildwood hopes to raise enough money to provide specially designed enrichment programmes and tools to keep the bears’ minds stimulated and engaged.

Urgent Healthcare: The bears will require a host of costly healthcare both on arrival at Wildwood and in the years to come. They will need full health-checks, vaccinations and worming after arrival and may need many years of veterinary care depending on their physical and mental condition. The bears will also require extensive dental repairs to rebuild their crumbling teeth and closely controlled diets to allow their digestive systems to adapt to new foods.

**IMPORTANT**

Please note that the bears are not currently on public view. Since arriving at the park they have been monitored round the clock by our expert team to ensure that they are comfortable in their new home. Only once we are satisfied that the bears are ready to be seen by the public will they be on display for visitors to see.

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High resolution images and broadcast quality High Definition Video footage of the bears’ journey from Bulgaria to Wildwood is available on request. Professional crews are very welcome to visit the park, please get in touch.
CONTACT
Wildwood Trust: +44(0)1227 712 111

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

Registered Charity No. 1093702

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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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The Bears Arrive Safely at Wildwood

THE BEARS ARRIVE SAFELY AT WILDWOOD     Picture above: One of the bears in its new home at Wildwood     Wildwood is delighted to announce that the Kormisosh bears have arrived safe and well at the park after being rescued from Bulgaria.   The two bears arrived on Wednesday night after a 1,600 mile journey from the remote mountain region of Bulgaria where they had lived in appalling conditions for their entire lives. The rescue went well and the bears are in good health considering their background.   To allow them time to settle in, the bears are not currently on public view. Since arriving they have been monitored round-the-clock by our expert team to ensure that they are comfortable in their new home. Only once we are satisfied that the bears are ready to be seen by the public will they be on display for visitors to view.         Peter Smith; Wildwood's CEO, who was at the rescue in Bulgaria, said: "Seeing the bears in such terrible conditions with my own eyes really brought home just how important this project is. We have been touched by the amazing generosity of our donors, members and supporters and would like to thank them all; it is thanks to them that the bears are safely with us." (Picture right: A bear at Kormisosh, Bulgaria)         THEIR RESCUE IS JUST THE START   But this is not the end of the story. In fact, the arrival of the bears at Wildwood is just the start of their journey to recovery which will require even more time, money and dedication to achieve.       Due to the extremely high costs of looking after animals such as bears, Wildwood has taken a staggered approach to their rescue and rehabilitation. After raising the initial £50,000 needed to rescue the animals and build their quarantine enclosure, the Trust now needs to raise even more money to give them the happy, healthy lives they so desperately need.     Donate by Phone   01227 712 111   Office Hours: 9am - 5pm (Mon - Fri)     Donate Online   CLICK HERE TO DONATE     Donate by Text*   TEXT BEAR21 £5 to 70070   Wildwood Trust will receive 100% of your donation. *Text donations will cost £5 plus your standard network message rate. Always get the bill payers permission.     WHAT NEXT FOR THE BEARS?   The bears will now be quarantined for four months in their specially built quarantine enclosure. During this time Wildwood will need to raise the money to build their woodland enclosure and provide them with much-needed facilities for their rehabilitation after years of neglect.   We still have a long way to go…       The ambitious plans for the woodland enclosure   Woodland Enclosure   The quarantine area is situated within the much larger woodland enclosure, which will be the bears' eventual home. In this huge area the bears will be free to play and explore and to learn to display their natural behaviour after being denied such opportunities since birth. We still face the mammoth task of fencing this area and preparing the woodland to ensure it will be a suitable home for the bears.     A bear enjoying a swim. Your donation will help build them a large running water feature   Physical Rehabilitation   The bears have never experienced a natural environment and therefore do not know how to behave like bears. They have never been able to climb, swim or play which has left them weak and in need of physical exercise. We desperately need to raise money to provide them with essential features in their enclosure such as a large running water feature and climbing frames.         An example of an enrichment item, which will be used to stimulate the bears' minds   Enrichment Programmes   After living in such awful, barren conditions, the bears may be suffering with mental health problems or may be prone to stress. We need to ensure that their mental health is closely monitored and to provide activities to stimulate their curious minds. With your help we will provide specially designed enrichment programmes and tools which will keep the bears' minds busy and engaged.     An example of a bear undergoing a dental check-up   Urgent Healthcare   The bears will require a host of costly healthcare both on arrival at Wildwood and in the years to come. They will need full health-checks, vaccinations and worming after arrival and may need many years of veterinary care depending on their physical and mental condition. The bears will also require extensive dental repairs to rebuild their crumbling teeth and closely controlled diets to allow their digestive systems to adapt to new foods.       THANK YOU   We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has helped us to bring the bears to Wildwood, we could not have done it without your support and generosity. The bears are now safe, but we still need your help to give them the future they deserve.   Please will you donate and help us give these poor animals a happy, healthy life at Wildwood.   The Wildwood Team     Donate by Phone   01227 712 111   Office Hours: 9am - 5pm (Mon - Fri)     Donate Online   CLICK HERE TO DONATE     Donate by Text*   TEXT BEAR21 £5 to 70070   Wildwood Trust will receive 100% of your donation. *Text donations will cost £5 plus your standard network message rate. Always get the bill payers permission.   Don't miss out! Add news@wildwoodtrust.org to your address book or contact list   Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 7LQ   Registered Charity no. 1093702

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