LONDON, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- After an epic 8,400 km journey from Japan, four bears have arrived at a wildlife park in Yorkshire to start a new life after living in poor conditions in a Japanese museum.
They are Ussuri Brown Bears, a species found in Hokkaido where it is at risk from habitat loss and illegal hunting in the wild.
Two of the bears are 17 years old and two are 27 years old. The bears life expectancy is up to 35 years.
The bears' arrival in England was part of a huge re-homing project organized by the zoo animal welfare charity Wild Welfare, which secured their release from a life in cramped cages in a Japanese museum to a new home at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster.
Their life in captivity and their advanced age means that all four bears need rehabilitation and care, something the Yorkshire park has committed to providing for the rest of their lives, said Wild Welfare.
The organization's projects director, Georgina Groves, said: "They're going to receive the very best of care from Yorkshire Wildlife Park's team."
"This was no small undertaking, as none of the bears are young and have been living in terribly confined conditions, but now they have a great new home."
Following concerns about the bears' living conditions at the Ainu Museum in Hokkaido, northern Japan, Wild Welfare began working with the museum and animal welfare organization JAWS Japan, to make improvements for them. When it was agreed that the significant enhancements needed to improve the bears' well-being could not be made, Wild Welfare approached Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which offered them a new home.
The bears are settling into their new 2.5-acre home.
Groves added: "The living conditions these bears have faced for much of their lives is sadly reflective of the conditions that many captive bears in Japan are in. We really hope these four beautiful bears can raise the profile for others in Japan, and help us work with zoo and welfare organizations in-country to secure a better long-term future for them all."
