Free the Bears makes history following largest ever bear cub rescue

Free the Bears, a wildlife conservation charity supported by AJN Steelstock, rescued 16 endangered moon bear cubs in one day earlier this year – the largest ever rescue of endangered bear cubs in history.

The cubs were confiscated by the Environmental Police in the Laos capital of Vientiane after neighbours reported hearing the screams of the cubs. Ten males and six females, weighing between 1.3kg and 4kg and estimated to be between two and four months old, were given critical overnight care by Free the Bears before being transferred to the charity’s Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary in Laos.

Just 48 hours later, the charity was notified of two other bear cubs that had been seized in a far-off province and set about rehoming them at its mountainside sanctuary. Despite just being six months into the year, these new arrivals mark a record year for the most bears the charity has ever rescued in a single year.

Moon bears are targeted by hunters for their skin, paws and gallbladders, from which bile is obtained for use in Traditional Medicine. Across Asia, more than 10,000 moon bears remain suffering in tiny cages and are regularly mutilated and milked for their bile.

Matt Hunt, CEO of Free the Bears, comments, “It’s incredibly concerning for us as a small organisation

to have so many bear cubs coming in at once that can’t be re-released back into the wild.

“Our philosophy is that we would never turn a bear in need away and in the 30 years that we’ve been running, we’ve managed to hold on to that.

“However, this is the biggest seizure of threatened bear cubs ever in the world – we have never seen anything like this. If it’s a one off, then OK. If it turns out that this is the way the trade is going, then that’s really worrying.”

With wildlife sanctuaries in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, Free the Bears, has supported the rescue over 1,000 bears and currently provides care for almost 300 bears in Southeast Asia, including 124 rescued bears in its Laos sanctuary.

Thanks to the support from AJN Steelstock through the funding of additional forest enclosures for rehomed bears, the charity is able work with the local government to assist with large scale rescues and work in partnership with them to help bring an end to the illegal wildlife trade in Laos.

Alan Boyden, Joint Managing Director, at AJN Steelstock adds, “Its encouraging to know that the new enclosures we’ve helped to build are making it a little easier for Free the Bears to give rescued bears the quality of life they rightly deserve.

“One of the biggest challenges now, however, is continuing to raise awareness and encourage as many people as possible to support the charity through donations – any amount – to help it tackle the illegal wildlife trade and bring an end to the hideous bear bile farming in Laos.”

For more information about the charity, or to make a donation, please visit: www.freethebears.org