JEJU, Jan. 12 (Korea Bizwire) – The playful and innocent gestures of moon bears, successfully adapted to their new home on Jeju island, will be open for public viewing starting from January 13.
On January 11, Jeju officials announced that four moon bears, relocated from a private facility in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, to Jeju last December, have successfully acclimated to their new environment and are ready to meet residents and tourists. The group consists of two male and two female bears, all born in 2013.
The new sanctuary for these moon bears is located in the Jeju Natural Ecology Park in Susan-ri, Seongsan-eup, in the city of Seogwipo. The park has carefully monitored the bears for stress and health issues during their transfer and provided a stabilization period to help them adjust to their new surroundings.
Since January 3, the bears have undergone various outdoor adaptation training sessions, including homing exercises to return to their indoor enclosures, water play, and hammock activities.
The moon bears were moved to the Jeju facility as part of a 2022 government agreement with bear farming operations to end the practice of bear farming by 2025. This marks the first instance of bears being relocated from a farm to a protective facility.
Visitors can see these moon bears daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting from January 13, with no admission fee required. This initiative offers a unique opportunity for the public to connect with these rescued animals and witness their new beginning on Jeju Island.
Image credit: Jeju City / photonews@koreabizwire.com
