Two malnourished bears from Russia crossed two war zones and 13,500 km to reach a safe home in Ireland
Both bears had limited access to water, and it severely impacted their health
Bu and Tyapa are two brown bears from different backgrounds who arrived at a sanctuary in Dagestan, Russia, in 2021. But their living conditions were unfavorable. The sanctuary lacked long-term care provisions. So they reached out to Killian McLaughlin, founder and director of Wild Ireland, a wildlife sanctuary in Burnfoot, Co. Donegal, Ireland, who had been working to get them "home." After five long years, McLaughlin finally said "mission accomplished" after transporting Bu and Tyapa across two war zones. RTÉ News (@rtenews) reported the story on October 21, 2026, and it has garnered over 58,000 views, 2,100 likes, and 185 comments.
Origin stories
More than 2000 years ago, brown bears became extinct in Ireland, and that is what makes Bu and Tyapa so special. They are two of four living brown bears in Ireland. Tyapa had once lived in a petting zoo. He was raised for taxidermy purposes and was later sent to the sanctuary, where he lived in a small cage. Bu, on the other hand, was a circus bear who was surrendered to the sanctuary and lived in a small indoor cage. Both bears had limited access to water, and it severely impacted their health. The sanctuary knew it couldn't give them good lives and reached out to McLaughlin.
The Tiger House
The original plan was to transport Bu and Tyapa by road. But when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the plan dissolved. McLaughlin talked to a lawyer in Moscow and gathered a team of volunteers. He was determined to find an alternative route to transport them. Thankfully, Dima and Yana Kim, the owners of Tiger House, a sanctuary near St. Petersburg, stepped in to help. In October 2025, they drove for 36 hours to Dagestan to provide the bears with health checks, vaccinations, and treatments before they were transported. They discovered that the bears were severely malnourished and had kidney problems because of dehydration. They also had psychological trauma.
While Bu and Tyapa were quarantined at Tiger House, McLaughlin, along with the Kims and Irish and Russian lawyers, worked together to complete the paperwork required to transport them. With no direct flights from Russia to Europe, the only alternative route was through the Middle East, but another roadblock arose. The Iran war in late February closed down air travel, which prohibited them from flying. By June, Intradco Global offered their services for free, and Etihad Cargo agreed to transport the bears at a discounted price.
Abu Dhabi to Dublin
Finally, Bu and Tyapa left Dagestan and flew from Sheremetyevo Alexander S. Pushkin International Airport in Moscow to Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi. McLaughlin met the bears in Abu Dhabi, oversaw their transfer, and then flew with them to Dublin. They finally landed in Ireland on August 3 and were transported by William Gill Livestock Transport to Wild Ireland. On September 7, they went through a vet inspection and were released from quarantine. Two months later, McLaughlin reported that the bears' physical conditions had improved tremendously and their kidney function was back to normal.
McLaughlin said that Bu and Tyapa's story offers people hope. "There was kindness and compassion in the middle of so much strife and war." But the bears were still afraid of open spaces. McLaughlin 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."
'Great man, great dream'
McLaughlin believed that the bears will become more confident and comfortable with time because "the habitat that I’ve designed has everything that a bear needs to be a bear: trees to climb, [a] pond to swim, logs and rocks to forage under." He added, "We've got a fantastic, experienced animal care team that spends all day with them, hiding food, making them use their brains, and encouraging them to exercise." A documentary about Bu and Tyapa's rescue mission will be released next year.
Rise in brown bear population
Bu and Tyapa are now two of just four brown bears living in Ireland, as brown bears have been making a comeback across Europe. The European Commission estimates that around 20,500 brown bears lived across the continent in 2023, up 17% from 2016. Brown bears are now permanently present in 29 European countries, yet Ireland has no wild population.
They 'lucked out'
People wished McLaughlin and the two brown bears the very best. Several viewers were touched by their story and McLaughlin's perseverance to get them home. @greyline1012 wrote, "Beautiful job. From what they were till now is mind-boggling." @ashlingbyrne7419 commented, "Everyone in Ireland needs to visit Wild Ireland. I'm going to visit again. An amazing experience to see animals that roam our beautiful country, great man with a great dream."
More on Scoop Upworthy
Share on Facebook
