Rescued bears settling into new home
A wildlife sanctuary has said "words cannot quite describe" the scenes as two brown bear brothers rescued from a cage near a restaurant in Azerbaijan settled into their new home on the Isle of Wight.
Benji and Balu arrived at Wildheart Animal Sanctuary in Sandown on 4 June and were released into their new enclosure on Friday.
Public donations went towards the almost £218,000 raised for their transport and the brand new space for the pair.
An upstairs viewing area, closed while the bears acclimatise, is expected to open next week if the brothers are deemed ready for visitors. A downstairs viewing area is expected to open next month.
The bears were kept in a holding pen while they got used to their new life on the island but have now been released into the new 3,500sqm (11,483 sqft) space in-keeping with their natural environment.
The sanctuary said: "A few tentative steps turned to utter joy and delight.
"Years of significant challenges, incredibly hard work and a massive amount of fundraising all suddenly became worth it for this one moment of pure joy.
"Tears all round... thank you to every single person that has played a role in this rescue - this is why we do what we do."
About two years ago, the bears were relocated by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan from a restaurant, where they had been kept to attract customers, to a temporary shelter.
Wildheart Animal Sanctuary started fundraising to rehome the bears having become aware of their situation in May 2024.
You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.