Jimmy Doherty’s Big Bear Rescue Ch4

I’ve caught this programme a couple of times - last night they brought a brown bear from Transylvania to be a friend for Diego. The new bear was brought from Ukraine because of the war and couldn’t be rehomed. I wonder what travellers on the passing trains think when they see bears, especially if they aren’t ‘locals’.
I’m finding it an enjoyable programme. As an aside I think Jamie Oliver invested in Jimmy many years ago - money well spent.

Absolutely wonderful. 😍

I also just happened to find this programme while whizzing through different channels. A wonderful programme and I intend to catch up on the ones I have missed.
Jimmy’s Farm is in Suffolk.

My partner tells me that Jimmy used to do a cookery programme with Jamie Oliver so that makes sense. I’d never heard of him. Diego made me think of Voytek, the soldier bear who was also raised from a cub and craved human company. I was terrified when they introduced the lady bear to him having read recently about a female tiger that was part of a breeding programme being killed when they introduced her to a male . It’s one of those programmes that restore your faith in humanity except for it making me angry about the war in Ukraine and angry that Sweden could sell a rescue centre to developers.

I’m planning to watch it on catch up later this afternoon.

We visited a few years ago when it was just a working farm with a farm shop, tea room and a few small animals to view.

We visited a working farm here in Essex last year (it has a small animal petting field, very basic but the animals are not caged, even the rabbits and guinea pigs were roaming free) and got talking to the son of the farmer, he had just been installing all the new cages and safety fences up at Jimmy’s Farm.

MayBee70 the programme was called Jamie and `Jimmy’s Friday `Night Feast it was filmed at the cafe on the end of Southend Pier.

We used to enjoy it, I expect it’s still available on More 4 or whatever it’s called now 🤷‍♀️

It’s unbelievable the amount of detail that has to be gone into when fencing in such dangerous animals! I was surprised how well the polar bears got on given that they’re such solitary creatures. I’d love to go there. I did see some wolves at Dublin Zoo many years ago. I couldn’t believe it when they just walked through the Wolf enclosure although, as they said, wolf attacks on people are very rare. And having a tiger stand just a few feet away from me behind glass at London Zoo has stayed with me forever.

I've seen a vet enter a wolf enclosure, the wolves just ran off!

I'll try and catch this MayBe. I had no idea he'd built a Tundra, it's fascinating

A tiger brushed up against our car at Longleat. It was amazing.

I watch the Ranthambore tiger reserve page on facebook. I saw a documentary about a tiger called Macchli years ago and her grandaughter Arrowhead the crocodile killer has just died. The reserve reminds me of the lost city in the Korda film version of The Jungle Book starring Sabu.

I remember the first time Jimmy appeared on TV, when he decided to become a pig farmer. He was absolutely clueless! I have watched his progress through the years, what a success he has made of the farm shop and wildlife centre! He must be doing well to afford the current bear and wolf projects. He went to school with Jamie Oliver and they have been friends ever since.

I've got a lot of tv series to catch up on! I'd never heard of him till yesterday...I do hope he doesn't push himself too far financially as he doesn't seem to be able to refuse to help an animal in need.

I am really enjoying this series and am amazed the lengths Jimmy and his staff go to to rehome these amazing animals. Jimmy and Jamie Oliver did do a show together at Southend Pier where famous people were invited to cook with them. That was a great show too. Jimmy and Jamie went to school together and have had a long standing friendship for many years.

The centre is in Suffolk, as someone said. Re "doing well", a recent bear addition had a very successful crowd-funding exercise appeal, to pay for all the necessary fencing, transport, etc (described in the last show, Ep 3 perhaps?).

Quite a few game parks/zoos have wolves, they're just like a large alsatian, or husky, apart from the eerie noise they make!

This show showed keepers feeding a brown bear from a honey-laden spoon, (later it carefully licked the fence!) and apparently they eat carrots too (maybe not broccoli?!).

A documentary a few years ago showed a researcher in Minnesota (perhaps Wisconsin, somewhere up there), who had a small group of bears he'd worked with for years. He could handfeed them with grapes or blueberries, which they love. Every year though, when hunting season started, he had to put up lots of warning signs, and have 'research' markings on the animals, but STILL he'd get one or two shot by the imbecilic hunting fraternity in N America.

I think both Jimmy and Jamie Oliver were in the same class at school and own a cafe together. I know they have been friend a long time.

I saw the programme where the bears were transferred from the Swedish wild life park to Jimmy's. It was a huge task, and the programme was a mixture of tension, happiness and sadness.

I haven't seen the wolf programme yet but I admire this man and his wife greatly because it rescuing these animals must incur a huge financial risk.

I thoroughly enjoyed these programmes. It's wonderful to see Jimmy succeeding like this. He may present himself as an Essex boy, buy remember he's got a PhD and is no idiot, and he's always careful to call in experts for his new ventures.