Rare bear from war-torn Ukraine zoo finds new home in Scotland

A black bear named Yampil, a rare refugee from the war in Ukraine, has found a new home in Scotland. The 12-year-old bear was discovered by Ukrainian troops.

Yampil, who had previously been called Borya, was discovered by soldiers who recaptured the devastated city of Lyman during the Kharkiv counteroffensive in the fall of 2022, said Yegor Yakovlev of Save Wild, who was among the first of many people who led the bear to a new life.

The bear was found in a menagerie that had long been abandoned by its owners. Almost all the other animals had died of hunger, thirst or were struck by bullets or shrapnel. Yampil had a near-miss himself and suffered a concussion from a projectile that landed nearby.