He was named after a wild animal – so a New Year’s safari to meet his namesake was the perfect treat.
In fact, so keen was Bear Payne’s mother, Cheryl Tweedy, to give him a memorable Christmas following the death of his father Liam almost 15 months ago, that she took him to meet his favourite animals, something he and the late One Direction singer shared a love for.
Dressed for the plummeting temperatures in a grey puffer jacket and matching bobble hat, the eight-year-old was treated to a three-night trip to Port Lympne, a safari park in Kent, where he appeared ‘thrilled’ as he came face to face with the park’s residents.
Bear toured the park in an open-sided safari Land Rover on a £110 per person, two-and-a-half hour ‘ultimate safari’ with the former Girls Aloud star. Also there were Ms Tweedy’s mother Joan and younger brother Garry, whom she credits as being her ‘rock’ following Liam’s death aged just 31 in October 2024 after a fall from a hotel balcony.
As well as meeting some spectacled bears – the inspiration for another famous bear, Paddington – Bear also got to sleep near tigers.
Cheryl in the open-sided safari Land Rover at Port Lympne during the £110 per person, two-and-a-half hour ‘ultimate safari’
Cheryl Tweedy’s son Bear fed the giraffes during the safari experience
And he appeared to be particularly excited when the group reached the African section of the park and spotted the statuesque Nubian giraffes nearby, which guests can feed as part of the experience.
Bear could be seen looking up in amazement as the animals bowed their heads to reach their food.
Watching on proudly was Ms Tweedy – who first met Liam when he was a contestant on talent show The X Factor and she was a judge, though they began their relationship years later – in a long brown puffer coat and sheepskin-lined, trapper-style hat with the ear flaps down.
Onlookers told The Mail on Sunday that Bear ‘looked thrilled’ and was ‘not able to soak up enough of what he was seeing’ as he and his mother enjoyed the safari.
One guest said: ‘They all looked genuinely mesmerised, especially Bear. It must have been such a wonderful treat for him.
‘It must be so sad. He doesn’t have a daddy around at Christmas so it was lovely to see Cheryl doing the best she can to make sure he had a smile on his face.’
The family group appeared particularly excited when they reached the African section of the park and spotted the statuesque Nubian giraffes nearby
Cheryl prepares to step out of the Land Rover during the safari experience
Cheryl wore a long brown puffer coat and sheepskin-lined, trapper-style hat with the ear flaps down
While the singer is determined to bring up her only child unspoilt – he will one day inherit Liam’s £30 million fortune – their accommodation was luxurious.
Ms Tweedy, who is said to be worth around £10 million herself, could easily have afforded to take her only son overseas on safari, but the group could not have looked happier at the park, which is owned by the conservation charity, the Aspinall Foundation.
She and Bear, along with her wider family, stayed in an exclusive £3,000-a-night glass-sided ‘tiger lodge’ where guests can see the magnificent creatures roam at close quarters.
In fact, many guests wake up to find the animals at their windows in what the park describes as ‘an unforgettable experience’.
Bear and his family also enjoyed some of the park’s other delights during their visit, including an illuminated walk, a vintage-inspired funfair and lighting installations, which have previously attracted other famous fans including Holly Willoughby and Carrie and Boris Johnson.
And there were further treats in store for Bear. He would undoubtedly have been thrilled to see the park’s model dinosaurs, thought to be similar to the three his father bought on eBay and later placed in the back garden of his mansion in Buckinghamshire.
The group could not have looked happier at the park, which is owned by the conservation charity, the Aspinall Foundation
The eight-year-old fed the giraffes dressed for the plummeting temperatures in a grey puffer jacket and matching bobble hat
Liam Payne with Bear after his birth in 2017. Although Liam and Cheryl split in 2018, when Bear was just two, father and son shared an unbreakable bond
Father and son would spend hours playing with the statues, with little Bear ‘giggling his head off’ at his playful dad.
‘They both adored dinosaurs from when Bear was very little,’ a friend said.
Cheryl and Liam got together back in 2015 after her marriage to French businessman Jean Bernard Fernandez-Versini ended.
Although the couple split in 2018, when Bear was just two, father and son shared an unbreakable bond. Since the singer’s death at the Casa Sur Palmero hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he suffered multiple traumas and was found to have traces of alcohol, cocaine and antidepressants in his body, Ms Tweedy has been determined that Bear won’t ever forget his father.
Friends say she has ‘gone to great lengths’ to make sure there are reminders of Liam in Bear’s life and she ensures that he remains close to Liam’s parents Karen and Geoff, as well as his sisters Ruth and Nicola.
And of course, she will never forget the poignant legacy that Liam left to their little boy – his love of animals.
