Scottish zookeepers have rescued a bear that was stuck in a shell-damaged zoo in Ukraine.

After five months of Russian occupation, the village of Yampil was cleared by Ukrainian forces, who then found the Asiatic black bear.

The striking black bear, named after the village, had to be hoisted out of the debris by soldiers on a tarp due to its concussion from the shelling. Yampil the bear eventually made it to Belgium after leaving the conflict zone, where he was taken care of by the wildlife nonprofit Natuurhulpcentrum.

Uncertain of what to expect, the staff of Five Sisters Zoo in West Lothian, Scotland decided to fly down to see Yampil after learning about him from the charity.

Head of Carnivores at Five Sisters Garry Curran said, “It was really important we understood Yampil and what to expect from him. Bears can often suffer mental health problems after going through a traumatic experience.” In an interview with the Guardian, he recalled how the team exhaled as a whole when they saw the bear happily munching on a cucumber upon their arrival.

Despite his initial nervous demeanor, he seems to have adjusted remarkably well and didn’t exhibit any worrisome stress-related behaviors. Curran told the Guardian, “He seems to be a calm and gentle individual, which was reassuring for all of us.”

Yampil arrived at his new home last Friday, having traveled 690 miles in 12 hours thanks to the arrangements made for the bear’s transportation to Scotland.

In order to complete the construction of Yampil’s permanent enclosure, Five Sisters Zoo is currently raising money. To date, the zoo has raised £60,000. They aim to raise the remaining £200,000, which will go toward paying for Yampil’s specialized enclosure, care, and maintenance. Donations can be made through this appeal link by anyone who is interested.

The zoo’s staff is appreciative of the funds that have been raised thus far through individual donations and the materials that were provided by nearby companies and utilized to build the enclosure.

Five Sisters’ owner, Brian Curran, said, “We have some fantastic facilities and have rescued bears before.” But because Yampil is the first Asiatic black bear that we have rescued and will be caring for, he needs a brand-new enclosure designed specifically for his needs.

According to Curran, Yampil may go into hibernation if he is content with his temporary surroundings. This would enable the construction to move forward more calmly. Watch him navigating his new surroundings…