This is the tear-jerking moment a bear saw snow for the first time after spending 20 years of his life in a cage.

But three weeks ago Buri was rescued from captivity by a team in Ukraine.

Until recently there was very little regulation in Ukraine surrounding keeping animals in captivity.

As a result, hundreds of bears and other wild animals are still kept privately or as ‘entertainment’ outside restaurants in the country.

Buri was taken as a cub and has never been outside. From his dental records, researchers believe he is about 20. Three weeks ago Buri was rescued from captivity by a team in Ukraine

Buri was rescued by a team of volunteers from Lawrence Anthony Earth Organization Ukraine

In the clip, Buri hugs and slides down the tree with delight and paws and sniffs the snow which he has never experienced before.

Buri took his first steps in the snow at the weekend at the Synevir National Park in Ukraine where he joins dozens of rescued bears now enjoying the outdoors for the first time

Until a few years ago it was legal in Ukraine to capture and keep wild animals, with virtually no regulation. As a result, hundreds of bears and other wild animals are still kept privately or as ‘entertainment’ outside restaurants in the country

From his dental records, researchers believe he is about 20 – meaning he’s spent two decades in captivity

‘My fiancé burst into tears because she’d never seen us release a bear like that before. To see him enjoying the snow and playing for the first time was very emotional.

Lionel De Lange, who lead the rescue of Buri said: ‘He’s been in captivity his whole life and he’s had a roof over his head his whole life. ‘He kept on looking at the sky, as if he was thinking why is there nothing above me’

Hundreds of bears and other wild animals are still kept privately or as ‘entertainment’ outside restaurants in Ukraine – Buri joins some of the ones that were rescued

‘He’s spent his whole life in captivity because he and all the bears we rescue get captured when they are cubs, which is terrible’ Mr De Lange said

‘We think Buri is between 18 and 20 years old because there are no documents for him.