Tongki the Korean polar bear is retiring to Yorkshire Wildlife Park

Tongki the polar bear currently lives at the busy Everland Zoo in Korea but, for a more comfortable life in his old age, he will be flown 5,500 miles to Yorkshire Wildlife Park (YWP) and re-homed at YWP's award-winning Project Polar, one of the biggest polar bear reserves in the world. Project Polar includes dens, pools and lakes in a rolling landscape designed to reflect the habitat of the summer Arctic tundra.  It also includes four current residents; Victor, Pixel, Nissan and Nobby.

A spokesperson from Everland said: “We are delighted Tongki will be able to enjoy a comfortable retirement in his new home at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. The rolling terrain, lakes and four new polar friends are sure to keep him busy.”

John Minion, CEO at YWP said: “We are delighted to accept Tongki and give him a wonderful retirement in the ten acre reserves here at YWP.

“We can’t wait to see him enjoying space here and diving into the deep lakes.”

Vet Dr Jonathan Cracknell added: “We have spent time at Everland assessing Tongki for the journey and he is in very good health for a bear of his age and has routinely received good health care.”

The park’s charity, the Yorkshire Wildlife Park Foundation raises funds for polar bears, works with Polar Bears International to help bears in the wild and with the IUCN Specialist Climate Change group.