Jimmy's Farm £70k fundraiser to save bear hits halfway mark

Jimmy's Farm, in Wherstead near Ipswich, is hoping to save Diego the brown bear, who is the last bear left at Orsa Predator Park in Sweden.

Staff at the attraction, owned by TV presenter and farmer, Jimmy Doherty, are looking to raise £70,000 towards the project, which would see a world-class facility purpose-built for Diego created at the park.

Diego the brown bear (Image: Jimmy's Farm)

On Saturday, the fundraiser hit a huge £35,000 meaning the park is now halfway to its target. 

Earlier this week, Jimmy Doherty said: "We are overwhelmed and deeply touched by the public's response to our campaign, saving the last bear at Orsa Predator Park - Diego. 

"It makes us even more determined to see this through as we know we have such support around us." 

Jimmy Doherty (Image: Newsquest)

On Tuesday the fundraiser to bring Diego to Suffolk stood at £5,000 but overnight it shot up to £15,000.

And on Thursday, more than £20,000 had been donated to the cause.

On the donation page, Mr Doherty said: "To make room for a leisure facility, the staff at Orsa were ordered to dispense of all animals and any that could not be removed were to be put to sleep.

"We now have a mission on our hands and it's a race against time.

"Please help us raise enough money for Diego, to build him a large reserve and give him the best chance of survival."

This comes after the farm successfully saved polar bear Ewa from the same zoo as Diego. 

Ewa the polar bear who was brought over from Sweden (Image: Charlotte Bond)

Ewa is now homed in Europe's largest polar bear reserve at Jimmy's Farm, following a 12-month move from Scandinavia to Suffolk, and her reserve will be open to the public from October 21.

The target amount they hope to raise to save Diego is £70,000.

To see more information, or to donate, click here.