Free the Bears operates the largest moon and sun bear sanctuary network in Southeast Asia and has supported the rescue of more than 1,000 bears from bile farms, illegal wildlife trade and other forms of exploitation

www.freethebears.org

Free the Bears is a leader in the rescue and rehabilitation of orphaned bear cubs.

Some cubs arrive at our sanctuaries just weeks old, requiring around-the-clock support from dedicated bear carers. The youngest cubs need bottle feeding throughout the day and night, careful monitoring and specialist veterinary support to give them the best possible chance of survival during their most vulnerable days.

As cubs grow, our focus shifts to helping them develop the skills and behaviours they need to live as bears. Through carefully managed social groups, enrichment and access to natural environments, cubs learn to climb, forage, explore, swim and play with other bears.

Wherever possible, we also assess whether rescued cubs may one day be suitable for a return to the wild. This requires careful behavioural monitoring, minimal human contact, protected forest habitat and long-term research. Sadly most bears will need sanctuary care for life, due to the trauma they experienced. But whether a cub can return to the wild or needs sanctuary care for life, every one of them deserves safety.

How it all began: 

In 1993, Perth grandmother Mary Hutton saw a television report that changed the course of her life. The footage showed the horrifying extraction of bile from traumatised moon bears held in coffin-sized cages, a cruel practice used in traditional medicine across parts of Asia.

With no previous background in wildlife conservation, Mary began collecting signatures for a petition at her local shopping centre in Perth, Australia. What started as a small community effort quickly grew into a movement.

By 1995, Mary had founded Free the Bears.

Over the next three decades, her determination, and the support of thousands of people around the world, helped transform that grassroots effort into a leading conservation organisation protecting bears across Asia.

Today, Free the Bears operates the largest moon and sun bear sanctuary network in Southeast Asia and has supported the rescue of more than 1,000 bears from bile farms, illegal wildlife trade and other forms of exploitation.

10 ACROSS ASIA

 

Baby bear cubs rescued from the illegal pet trade: 7 bottles of milk formula in 24 hours is keeping the volunteers in Laos busy ( videos)

 

https://freethebears.org/blogs/news    

This tiny moon bear cub needs help Dear valued supporter We’ve learned of a tiny moon bear cub in northern Laos who urgently needs our help. The cub has been caught up in the illegal pet trade and is currently being kept all alone in a tiny cage. At this age, a wild moon bear cub should still be with its mother, following her through the forest, learning to climb, forage and play. Instead, this little cub’s world has been reduced to the bars of a cage. Government authorities are now working to confiscate the cub and bring it to safety with our cub care team at Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary. We don't yet know what condition the cub will be in when they arrive, but we are prepared to give them the best care possible. Your donation will provide milk formula, round-the-clock care, veterinary treatment, sanctuary space, and more. This has already been the busiest rescue year in Free the Bears' history, with 49 bears rescued so far - 11 of them cubs.  Government authorities are now working to confiscate the cub and bring it to safety with our cub care team at Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary. We don't yet know what condition the cub will be in when they arrive, but we are prepared to give them the best care possible. Your donation will provide milk formula, round-the-clock care, veterinary treatment, sanctuary space, and more. This has already been the busiest rescue year in Free the Bears' history, with 49 bears rescued so far - 11 of them cubs.  Please help us give this little one the fresh start they deserve. DONATE Look who's waiting for them... While we work to bring this little cub to safety, the 11 other cubs rescued this year across 5 different rescues, have reached an exciting milestone. They are all officially out of quarantine, and running wild together in the cub nursery! . Watch the cubs playing in the nursery

5 bear cubs rescued, their mum's killed, from wildlife trade: malnourished and frightened, but are now receiving around-the-clock care from our experienced bear care and veterinary teams.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaFh9UguuGv/

Dear valued supporter A week ago, we shared the difficult news that three bear cubs we were on our way to rescue, had disappeared within the illegal wildlife trade. Today, we're incredibly relieved to report that the cubs were found by authorities and are now safe with us at Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary. But that's not all. In a separate operation authorities confiscated two more moon bear cubs from the illegal wildlife trade, bringing the total to five rescued cubs in one extraordinary week, and 11 cubs rescued this year. Watch the rescue These bears have all had a very traumatic start to life and the original three cubs are particularly fragile at the moment. They are malnourished and frightened, but are now receiving around-the-clock care from our experienced bear care and veterinary teams. We want to thank you for the outpouring of kind messages we received last week, as we navigated one of the many challenges that come with combating wildlife crime across Southeast Asia – staying ahead of those who seek to profit from the illegal wildlife trade. Thank you for always standing up for bears. Without continued support, rescues like these simply would not be possible. Read more Cub Care Kit donation A$35.00 Help us provide milk formula and other essential cub supplies to these vulnerable new rescues. View

Tiny, malnourished, and cramped into a plastic washing basket. That’s how two bear cubs 2 months old, were found, advertised for sale on Facebook

Short video of the little cubs

Two tiny moon bear cubs saved from illegal Facebook trade Tiny, malnourished, and cramped into a plastic washing basket. That’s how two moon bear cubs were found, advertised for sale on Facebook in Laos this Easter weekend. Our staff uncovered the post while searching online platforms to track and expose wildlife traders – a critical, undercover part of our work as illegal wildlife traders increasingly move from physical markets to online platforms in order to sell wildlife. The seller had posted videos of the cubs, two sisters, who looked to be just 2 months old and under 3 kilograms each. They were illegally taken from the wild, their mother likely killed in the process. Found in a plastic washing basket We worked alongside the Provincial Natural Resources and Environment Inspection of Oudomxay province and local police, to plan and carry out a coordinated operation to locate and secure the cubs immediately. Thankfully, the cubs were intercepted, the perpetrator was arrested, and the cubs are now receiving urgent care from the Free the Bears team. Their rescue comes just three weeks after the rescue of two other moon bear cubs, brothers Jose and Fitz, from an illegal wildlife market – placing greater pressure on our cub nursery. They will need: Feeding every few hours Milk formula and cub supplies Monitoring day and night Specialist veterinary care Dedicated bear carers These little cubs deserved so much better than to be stolen from their mother and traded online like commodities. We will do everything we can to give them a safe and stable home from hereon, but we need help. The rescue of these two sisters brings the number of bears in our care in Laos to a record 150 – the highest number yet. Across Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, we now care for 312 rescued bears total, placing increasing pressure on our resources as rescues continue. Please donate if you can. DONATE Short video See the bear cubs P.S. All donations for Australians are tax deductible & UK donors can Gift Aid their donations. If we can find many willing to give a little, many more bears can be rescued from a lifetime of suffering.

Copyright © 2026 Free the Bears, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website or have otherwise supported Free the Bears and expressed an interested to be kept updated. Our mailing address is: Free the Bears PO Box 1393 Osborne Park DC Stirling, Western Australia 6916 Australia Add us to your address book Free the Bears is a registered nonprofit charity in Australia (Charity No: A1004507U) & the UK (Charity number: 1135682)  Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

 

World's largest threatened bear cub rescue and the liberation of 3 bears enjoy 2 video's with a happy end

Success! Thanks to your kind support, 3 moon bears have been rescued from horrific conditions & we've closed down a bear bile farm. The bears, 2 males & a female, are now safely recovering in the Quarantine House of our Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary. Thank you to everyone who has supported this rescue!

It looks a bit strange but newly born bears have a balloon tummy. The bear is not illl

A key reason for bear rescues in South-East Asia is the illegal wildlife trade and the easiest target for wildlife traders are cubs. A mother bear would never willingly part with her cub, meaning most cubs traded have already witnessed their mother's death.

Free the Bears has become a world leader in rescued cub care. Some of the cubs we receive are as young as a month old. They cannot crawl and require 24 hour care, as well as 7 feeds a day.

Free the Bears hopes that one day rehabilitated bears will be able to be released back to the wild. This huge undertaking involves studies of bear behaviour and welfare as well as research on protected areas for safe release.

Meanwhile, these bears need to be looked after at our world-class sanctuaries.  They need rehabilitation, food, living space, enrichment activities, medical provisions and lots of care. We rely on your support to help us help these bears. Learn more about becoming a Bear Carer here. 

SEND A CUB CARE KIT

Liberation Day for 3 Moon Bears, First Ever Bile Farm Closure in Laos: The video and photo's are a present from Free The Bears Australia

Success! Thanks to your kind support, 3 moon bears have been rescued from horrific conditions & we've closed down a bear bile farm. The bears, 2 males & a female, are now safely recovering in the Quarantine House of our Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary. Thank you to everyone who has supported this rescue!

Relaxed and enjoying each others company. This rescue is extremely significant, the 1st bear bile farm to be closed down by our government partners in Laos, paving the way to ending bear bile farming in the country. Following on from a record year of rescues in Laos in 2024 with 30 bears rescued, including the world's largest bear cub rescue, we're grateful to our Laos government partners for their increasing commitment to tackling the illegal wildlife trade. Special thanks to DOFI Vientiane for this bile farm closure.

Just released from a bile farm but knows how to play with a ball. Makes me so happy to see.

The huge number of bear rescues, all of which require lifelong care, is putting our small nonprofit charity under immense pressure. If you are not already, please join our family of Bear Carers, it's just a small monthly donation, less than the cost of a coffee each week. As you can see again & again, your donations really do make a difference & have impact for a small charity like ours. Thank you for your kind support & please join our family of Bear Carers here: https://freethebears.org/pages/bear-c... Thank you

Free the Bears : Video: Rescue of critically endangered Pangolins and a video of 16 rescued beautiful bear cubs with many photo's

In December 2024 & January 2025 we rescued 5 critically endangered Sunda pangolins that were being trafficked. Tragically, 3 of the pangolins, including a pregnant female, didn't make it. Once rehabilitated & cleared by the vet team, we were recently able to release the 2 survivors to a safe & protected forest. Thank you for making this possible.

A rescued injured Pangolin

Pangolins are beautiful, shy & harmless solitary creatures, the only mammal on earth covered from head to toe in scales. They are also the world's most trafficked mammal, hunted & killed for their meat & scales which are used for traditional medicines (the scales are made of keratin, the same as finger nails, they have no scientificaly proven benefit). Thank you for helping rescue, rehabilitate & release pangolins to help the species survive. Thank you for being Bear (& pangolin) Carers. If you are not already, please join our family of Bear Carers, we're desperate for more Bear Carers to enable this vital work saving threatened species to continue:

https://youtu.be/S7XzgDIITfo?si=iQ0-7vKKW0FfQ174 Video of the 16 rescued cubs

In a neighbourhood in the Laos capital of Vientiane, nearby residents hear distressed cries coming from inside a house and call police.

Inside they find 16 endangered moon bear cubs, calling out in fear and hunger, in cages on a stark floor. The tiny creatures are potentially destined for a harrowing life at an illegal bear bile farm, after their mothers were most likely killed by poachers.

Meanwhile at a sanctuary high in the hills of Luang Prabang, at least eight-hours drive away, staff at the Perth-founded Free The Bears charity have been hearing whispers and seeing social media posts that indicate a large number of cubs are being traded.

They begin to ready themselves for a trip, in case they are called to bring the cubs back to join the 110-plus sun and moon bears on the property. They talk among themselves; one thinks he’s counted 13 cubs across various online groups, as others counsel that traders often inflate and misrepresent their quarry.

After being notified by the specialist environmental police, the seasoned rescuers drive the rough, winding roads into the city, stocking up on milk formula, bottles, kettles and other supplies. They set up at a guesthouse close to the police station and wait to be given the go-ahead.

But when the group is let into the house, they can’t quite believe what they see: 17 cubs, the smallest just 1.3kg, probably about two months old.

How dit Free the Bears begin? Australian Grandmother Mary is a hero:

https://freethebears.org/pages/origins