Wildwood welcomes war refugee cubs to Devon

Two young brown bear cubs find forever home

Two young brown bear cubs, born in the shadow of war, have arrived at their forever home at Wildwood Devon - marking a new chapter in their journey of survival.

The two-year-old siblings, Malenky and Nanuq, were born in Belgium after their mother was rescued from the frontline in Ukraine, smuggled out in the back of a van to escape the shelling.

Their arrival at Wildwood Trust’s Devon park is a heartwarming milestone in a journey that’s seen them cross borders to finally find their “forever home”.

They travelled from De Zonnegloed Wild Animal Sanctuary in Belgium, and arrived at their new home in Ottery St Mary in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Mark Habben is Director of Zoo Operations at Wildwood Trust and said: “Our colleagues in Belgium did an incredible job caring for Malenky and Nanuq, but with six bears already in their care, they simply didn’t have the space or resources to give these young cubs the future they deserve.

“We are thrilled to welcome them to Wildwood, where we can provide them with a safe, enriched environment to thrive under the watch of our expert keepers. Over the coming weeks our team will set to work helping the pair settle. We’re incredible excited for our members and visitors to meet the newest members of the Wildwood family in the coming days.”

Malenky and Nanuq will now share their new home with another rescued sibling duo - brown bears Mish and Lucy, who were saved from certain death in Albania and brought to the park in 2021.

Wildwood Trust has become a global leader in the rescue and rehabilitation of brown bears. The conservation charity first gained international acclaim with the rescue of Fluff and Scruff - two bears who survived horrific abuse in a Bulgarian hunting facility. They now live peacefully at Wildwood’s Kent site.

In 2023, the Trust also stepped in to save Diego - the last remaining brown bear at Sweden’s Orsa Predator Park. Facing euthanasia after the park’s closure, Diego was temporarily rehomed at Wildwood Devon before moving to his permanent sanctuary at Jimmy’s Farm in Suffolk.

Most recently, Wildwood made headlines with the story of Boki, a rescued bear cub who underwent life-saving brain surgery - the first procedure of its kind ever performed on a brown bear. Thanks to expert care, Boki is making a remarkable recovery at the Trust’s Kent park.

With the arrival of Malenky and Nanuq, Wildwood has now rescued eight brown bears - but the work is far from over.

Paul Whitfield is Director General of Wildwood Trust: “We want to help more bears like Malenky and Nanuq, but we can only do it with the public’s support. Every rescued bear needs food, shelter, medical care, and enrichment. We spend around £70,000 a year caring for each rescued bear, which is why fundraising is essential to everything we do. 

“All the bears at Wildwood have come from unimaginable hardship. Malenky and Nanuq represent not just survival, but the growing threat to wildlife around the world. Their story reminds us why rescue work matters - and why we must act.”