S. Korea's only polar bear allowed to move to British animal park

[Yonhap News Photo]

SEOUL -- Tongki, a 24-year-old male polar bear living alone in a South Korean zoo can have a comfortable life for the rest of his days at a British animal park which provides an environment similar to the actual habitat of bears.

The polar bear was born in 1995 at a zoo in the southeastern city of Masan and moved to the Everland amusement park in Yongin two years later. It has been living alone since 2015 after other polar bears died.

Everland said Monday that it would send Tongki in November to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in England which opened a large enclosure for polar bears, named Project Polar, in July 2014.

The relocation that followed a series of protests by animal activists at home is aimed at providing better living conditions to Tonki, Everland said, adding it would not bring in any polar bears in response to growing social demands for animal welfare.

Lim Chang-won cwlim34@ajunews.com

S. Korea's only polar bear allowed to move to British animal park

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