27 bears need urgent help – Largest bear rescue in Southeast Asia
Your donation will help us rescue 27 moon bears who are trapped in an illegal bile farm in Laos.
It will provide the urgent veterinary care, sanctuary space, and lifelong support they desperately need after everything they've endured.
The scale of this rescue is enormous, but together we can give these bears a better future, free from cages.
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27 bears are trapped in an illegal bile farm in Laos
Many of them are believed to be juveniles, only two-years old. They were likely illegally stolen from the wild as cubs and forced to spend their young lives imprisoned in these tiny metal cages. Their mothers were likely killed in order for the cubs to be taken.
Bile farming is a cruel form of wildlife exploitation, where bears are caged to have their bile extracted from their gallbladder. The bile is used in traditional medicine – despite synthetic and herbal alternatives existing.
Some of these bears may already be suffering from malnutrition, muscle wastage, cracked teeth, psychological trauma, and painful injuries caused by years of confinement.
Rescuing them is a major logistical operation, and the cost of caring for these bears will continue for the rest of their life, which could be 30+ years.
Please help us give them the safety and comfort they deserve.
We have a chance to save these bears, but we urgently need help.
This rescue operation will push our sanctuary network beyond anything we have faced before.
Rescuing them will bring us to an astounding 342 rescued bears in our care.
The scale of this rescue is enormous.
We urgently need to:
Safely transport 27 bears
A major logistical operation across the mountains of Laos, with specialised equipment, large trucks, and a rescue crew.
Build new bear houses
With dens, planted forest enclosures, pools, caves, and the facilities these bears deserve.
Prepare quarantine and additional veterinary support
To temporarily house the bears, and to provide emergency care after everything they have endured.
Expand the sanctuary
with additional land, to house this influx of rescued bears.
Increase staffing
to give specialist care to the bears every day.
Provide specialised food, medicine and enrichment.
to help these bears not only recover, but thrive in the safety of the sanctuary.
No bear should live like this
These bears have been stolen illegally from the wild, to live a life of pain and suffering.
Together, we can give them a second chance.
Donate by phone
Australia +61 (08) 9244 1096
Tuesday to Friday, 11am-2pm, AWST
UK Answering Service: +44 (020) 8938 3624
Donate by post
Australia: PO Box 1393, Osborne Park DC, Western Australia 6916, Australia
UK: 628 High Road, South Benfleet, Essex SS7 5SU, United Kingdom