A BROWN bear rescued as the sole survivor from a disbanded zoo in Sweden has completed his short stay at a charity near Sidmouth.

Diego the bear spent five months at Wildwood Devon, in Ottery St Mary, before recently moving to his new forever home.

During his stay at Wildwood Devon, Jimmy's Farm and Wildlife Park in Ipswich was preparing an especially built enclosure for Diego.

Wildwood Trust, a wildlife conservation charity renowned for its rehabilitation of brown bears, was enlisted by Jimmy’s Farm to help save the bear last year.

Jimmy Doherty had been made aware of Diego’s plight when his team had stepped in to rescue two polar bears from the Swedish Orsa Predator Park - all three bears, including Diego, would have been euthanised.

Without an enclosure ready for Diego, Jimmy’s Farm called on Wildwood to offer a safe haven for the bear.Sidmouth Herald: Diego enjoying a rest on a pile of rocks.Diego enjoying a rest on a pile of rocks. (Image: Wildwood Trust)

Mark Habben, Director of Zoological Operations at Wildwood Trust, said it was privilege to be able to help: “I’m incredibly proud of the team here and everything they’ve done to help turn Diego’s fortunes around.

"This was a bear whose options had simply run out, we really were his last hope."

"Diego has been welcomed into the hearts of staff and visitors alike and he’ll be much missed but it was never in the plan to have him here past winter.

"We’re delighted his new home is ready and our bear experts will be on hand to support the team in Suffolk and pass on their experience to help him settle."

Diego arrived at Wildwood on the evening of November 2, 2023, and due to Storm Ciaran, had to come over from Sweden on the Eurotunnel rather than by ferry as originally planned.

Jon Forde, a senior bear keeper at Wildwood, said: “Diego spent a fair bit of time in torpor when he was with us.

"This is a natural bear behaviour where they sleep deeply for weeks or months with only short bursts of activity. 

"We’re one of the few wildlife parks in the UK to encourage this really important step.

"It helped ensure his well-being and comfort during the winter and we hope it will stand him in good stead for his move to Jimmy’s Farm.”