Free the Bears

Baby steps 💚

This little bear rescued in April has successfully passed her quarantine and is now stepping into her forest enclosure for the first time.

She has been through a lot, illegally stolen from the wild as a cub, sold at a market as a pet, and caged in a driveway for her first years of life. She suffers from stunted growth, likely a result of malnutrition and being caged in a small space.

She is adjusting slowly to this new forest environment, which can be a bit scary after only knowing a cage for so long. She bravely ventured out a few metres to get some tasty honey and we are so proud of her 🥹 She hasn't left her den again since this moment, and it is likely all a bit overwhelming.

For a little bear having endured so much trauma, it can take a long time to learn that the world around her is now a safe one. We are hopeful that with time and gentle care, she will be out exploring the wider sanctuary soon.

Thank you for supporting her journey, and all of the other rescued bears in our care.

27 rescued moon bears are now safe at Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary.

We honestly cannot thank this community enough for standing behind this rescue mission to free 27 moon bears from an illegal bear farm in Laos. Your support helped make it possible for us to say yes when these bears needed us most.

Just days ago, these bears were trapped in tiny metal cages inside a hot concrete shed, and only being given water once a day. Many are believed to be only 1–3 years old, and they were stolen from the wild as cubs.

Now, they are beginning the next chapter of their lives.

That has meant tasting honey for the first time. Walking on solid ground instead of metal bars. Climbing into a pool. Feeling leaves beneath their feet.

While the bears are finally safe, the work is far from over.

Right now, they are settling into quarantine, which is a critical part of the rescue process. The facility they came from was overcrowded and unhygienic, with bears housed alongside birds and domestic pets. Before they can move into our wider sanctuary population, we need to carefully monitor their health.

Years spent confined to tiny cages have also left their muscles severely weakened. Some are already sore simply from walking around their quarantine dens. Before they can move into larger forested enclosures, they need time to gradually rebuild their strength and coordination so they don’t injure themselves doing what should be very normal things for a bear, like climbing, running, or playing.

Our veterinary and bear care teams are monitoring them closely every step of the way.

This rescue has pushed Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary to capacity.

We urgently need to expand the sanctuary to give these bears the lifelong care they deserve. That means building new bear houses, expanding veterinary and quarantine facilities, purchasing more land, and planting forest habitat for the bears to explore for decades to come.

We cannot thank you enough for your support so far, and thank you for standing with us through one of the biggest rescue missions in our history.

Donate to their care: https://freethebears.payments2us.com/27_Bear_Rescue_Global

Loading the 27th bear onto our transport trucks, to take them away from this illegal bile farm.

One by one, frightened moon bears who have spent their lives behind metal bars have been carefully moved into transport crates for the long journey home. They've seen the sky, had plenty of food and water, and the team have stuffed the trucks with lots of leafy brows to provide comfort and a visual barrier to reduce their stress.

Even the leaves on the branches are new to these bears, after being trapped in sterile cages in a concrete shed since they were cubs - a devastating reality.

The journey from here to the sanctuary with such precious cargo is a 16+ hour mission through winding mountain passes on unfinished roads.

And the rescue doesn’t end when the trucks arrive, with 27 bears to unload safely into the sanctuary quarantine facilities.

These bears are exhausted, underweight, and deeply traumatised. Many have never touched grass, climbed, foraged, or even had proper access to fresh water. They will need lifelong specialised care after years of confinement.

Right now, an enormous effort is underway behind the scenes to prepare for what comes next. New dens. More bear houses. Veterinary care. Nutritious food. Space to heal.

They don’t know it yet, but they have a brighter future ahead, and we’re going to be with them every step of the way. We are so proud of our team, and also commend the action of the Laos authorities to close this criminal facility. It sends a clear message to the foreigners who came to Laos specifically to exploit Laos wildlife and steal bears from the wild – it will not be tolerated.

We cannot thank you all enough for the support so far. We will see you on the other side of this beary big drive!

This rescue is incredibly complex, with 27 moon bears trapped in raised metal cages in an illegal bile farm in Laos.

After years in these conditions, safely getting them out and into transport crates so we can bring them to the safety of Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary has required our team to customise as we go.

Our construction crew and animal care teams have been building platforms and trolley systems so transport crates can safely reach the cage doors.

With so many frightened bears in one room, stress levels can rise very quickly, which is also dangerous for the rescue team working around them. Thankfully our animal care team are experts at gentle crating, encouraging the bears with honey and treats.

This is likely the first time in their lives they’ve ever tasted honey. They’ve been surviving on a diet of cornmeal, fed only twice a day, and given water just once daily, despite being trapped in a hot shed.

One of the most heartbreaking parts of this rescue is seeing how isolated these young bears have been forced to live.

Moon bears are often born in sibling pairs, so there’s a very real chance many of the bears in this room are brothers and sisters. But every bear has been separated by metal bars.

At our sanctuaries, moon bears curl up together to sleep, wrestle, share hammocks, and spend hours playing with one another. Young bears are meant to learn through play and time with their mother.

Instead, these young bears, estimated to be just 1–3 years old, were illegally and cruelly ripped from the wild. Their mothers were likely killed to get to them. Then they were brought here to be caged and eventually exploited for their bile, which would be sold on the black market for traditional medicine.

What makes this even more confronting is that we found a large number of empty cages at the facility, suggesting they planned to expand to hold around 200 bears.

We are so grateful for the enduring support of the community. This is the largest ever bear farm rescue in Southeast Asia, and it's only because of your generosity that we could say yes to a rescue of this scale.

Support the rescue: https://freethebears.payments2us.com/27_Bear_Rescue_Global

He’s healing 🥹

Chenrezig spent two years living in a small cage outside of Vientiane, Laos. He was likely taken from the wild as a cub by a wildlife trader, after his mother was killed, and then sold into the illegal pet trade. He’s been recovering well at the sanctuary, and finally has bravely ventured out of his den and into his forest enclosure.

He was tentative at first, only taking a few steps here or there before quickly retreating back into the safety of his den, but eventually he bravely ran out and excitingly - he climbed straight up a tree! This is incredible progress for a little bear who has spent years in a small cage.

Thank you for supporting us, helping us to give bears like Chen this second chance.