After a five-year rescue effort spanning two war zones and 13,500km, two brown bears from Dagestan have arrived at a forest sanctuary in Burnfoot, Co Donegal.
For Wild Ireland founder and director Killian McLaughlin, the arrival of Bu and Tyapa marked the moment a seemingly impossible operation finally became “mission accomplished”.
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Wild Ireland, established seven years ago in a rainforest setting, offers sanctuary and rehabilitation to animals including bears, wolves, arctic foxes, reindeer and lynx.
The two new arrivals bring the number of brown bears at the Co Donegal facility to four, making them the only living brown bears in Ireland.
Tyapa, one of the bears, lived in a cage with limited access to water
Mr McLaughlin first heard about the bears in 2021, when they were being kept at a dog and cat sanctuary in Dagestan that, he said, was not equipped to care for them over the long term.
Tyapa had come from a petting zoo and was reportedly being kept for taxidermy, meaning he could have been killed and stuffed.
He was confined to a cage and had only limited access to water.
Bu had previously been used in a circus.
After being surrendered to the Right to Life Sanctuary in Dagestan, she spent years in a cramped indoor cage where access to water was also restricted.
Watch: Bu and Tyapa settle into their surroundings in Donegal
Unable to provide the specialist care the animals needed, the sanctuary sought help from Mr McLaughlin through the Dutch charity Bears in Mind.
Mr McLaughlin had previously worked with the organisation.
The initial proposal was to move the bears overland from Russia, through Ukraine and on to Co Donegal.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 put an end to that plan.
A map detailing the journey taken by the team and the bears
War, sanctions and restrictions on international animal transport caused repeated delays, leaving the bears in Dagestan far longer than originally expected.
Mr McLaughlin recruited a Moscow-based lawyer to design a rescue plan that would comply with trade sanctions, while volunteers were organised across Russia.
Tiger House, a sanctuary near St Petersburg that cares for former circus tigers, also agreed to assist with the operation.
The sanctuary arranged health checks, vaccinations and treatment before the bears began their journey to Ireland.
In October 2025, Tiger House owners Dima and Yana Kim made the 36-hour drive to Dagestan.
When they arrived, the bears had to be cut free from their cages and sedated before they could be moved.
Both animals were severely malnourished and showed signs of psychological trauma, as well as kidney problems linked to dehydration. They were placed in quarantine and received further care at Tiger House.
Mr McLaughlin, working with Dima and Yana Kim, Russian and Irish authorities and legal teams, completed the paperwork required for the international transfer.
The bears being unloaded in Abu Dhabi
Because direct flights between Russia and the European Union had been suspended as a result of the war in Ukraine, Mr McLaughlin looked for a route through the Middle East.
The escalation of the Iran war in late February brought further uncertainty, with airspace closures and flight disruption across the region.
Intradco Global and Etihad Cargo ultimately joined the rescue effort and helped move the bears in June.
Intradco donated its specialist animal transport services, while Etihad Cargo agreed to carry the bears at a reduced rate.
Teams at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi coordinated the animals’ arrival, handling and transfer between flights.
After the transport arrangements were finalised, Bu and Tyapa were taken to Sheremetyevo Alexander S Pushkin International Airport in Moscow, where they boarded their first flight to Abu Dhabi.
Mr McLaughlin travelled to Abu Dhabi to meet them, supervised their transfer and accompanied them on the onward flight to Dublin.
Bu and Tyapa arrived in Ireland on 3 August.
William Gill Livestock Transport then carried the bears by cattle lorry to Wild Ireland in Co Donegal, where they began quarantine.
Bu’s physical condition has improved during her first two months at the sanctuary
Mr McLaughlin said the rescue had brought together people from several countries who were determined to get the bears to safety.
He said: “There was kindness and compassion in the middle of so much strife and war.
“Maybe Bu and Tyapa’s story offers a bit of hope.”
After veterinary inspections and their release from quarantine on 7 September, Bu and Tyapa were introduced to their forest habitat at Wild Ireland.
During their first two months at the sanctuary, both bears have shown physical improvement. Blood tests indicate that their kidney function has returned to normal after treatment and consistent access to fresh water.
Mr McLaughlin said their physical recovery had been promising, although adapting to the forest environment would take more time because both animals were still nervous in open spaces.
Tyapa at the sanctuary in Co Donegal
He said: “We have experience rehabilitating rescued animals, and we will work at their pace.
“It is all part of their rehabilitation.
“Our job is to give them what they need to feel safe.”
Wild Ireland’s specially prepared habitat includes woodland, water and room to explore, along with smaller houses where the bears can withdraw.
Mr McLaughlin added: “They can explore the forest, return to their houses or take themselves away from public view.
“Giving them that choice is part of their recovery.”
Visitors to Wild Ireland will be able to see Bu and Tyapa during the October midterm break, although the sanctuary has warned that sightings are not guaranteed.
“We ask visitors to bear with them while they settle,” Mr McLaughlin said.
A documentary documenting the rescue operation is due to be released next year.
Etihad, Moondance Productions team and Killian McLaughin on the runway Abu Dhabi
Shane Brennan, CEO of Moondance Productions, described the operation as an “extraordinary journey” offering hope at a time that “can often feel increasingly bleak”.
Mr McLaughlin said he had “no doubt” that Bu and Tyapa would eventually become as healthy and confident as the sanctuary’s other two bears in a habitat that “replicates their natural environment”.
He said: “The habitat that I’ve designed has everything that a bear needs to be a bear; trees to climb, pond to swim, logs and rocks to forage under.
“We’ve a fantastic, experienced animal care team that spend all day with them, hiding food, making them use their brains, encouraging them to exercise.
“By us providing them with a habitat that replicates their natural environment, that’s a huge step on their road to recovery.
“This is a perfect environment for them.
“We invite members of the public to come and learn about brown bears, learn about their history in Ireland and the plight they face in the world.”
