Yes, the five Peña Escrita brown bears have packed their bags and gone to Hungary instead of staying here and going hungry.

Bailarina, Balú, Osito, Vieja and Zambo began their 2,900-km journey to the east on a Thursday around mid October to take up residence in a bear sanctuary that covers 5,5 hectares called Veresegyhzi Menve Otthon.

Two of the Peña Escrita bears were born in a cage within its small pen so confronting that extension of freedom of movement might produce just a little consternation before joy sets in.

But before all that took place there was a mountain of paperwork – you can’t drive bears around Europe unless you’re armed with the output of a small papermill in your glove compartment, all stamped and signed. In fact, the Town Hall, who footed the transfer costs, had to cough up 3,600 euros… more pieces of paper!

But think of the savings! All that money spent on feeding the bears Belgian tourists – apparently, they’re tastier than the average Brit in the world of ursine cuisine.

When the park was closed down, work began finding new homes for the thoroughly out of place animals up there – I mean, what the hell a hippo was doing up there is anybody guess and a riddle that probably kept the hippo awake most nights pondering on that same subject.

Anyway, the Town Hall finally shifted 160 animals; everything from a hippo to a possum, which includes our far-faring bears!

(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)