News
Meet the bear carers
Behind every rescued bear is a team of dedicated people working tirelessly behind the scenes to give them the care they deserve. Across our sanctuaries in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam,...
Meet the bear carers
Behind every rescued bear is a team of dedicated people working tirelessly behind the scenes to give them the care they deserve. Across our sanctuaries in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam,...
Kala's Journey – From the bile farm to fresh fo...
Moon bear Kala before and after rescue Moon bear Kala was rescued in the closure of the first Laos bile farm, shut down in early 2025. She was rescued alongside...
Kala's Journey – From the bile farm to fresh fo...
Moon bear Kala before and after rescue Moon bear Kala was rescued in the closure of the first Laos bile farm, shut down in early 2025. She was rescued alongside...
Baby on board!
The Laos vet team recently got a tiny, scaly surprise. “Oh my god! She has a baby!” veterinarian Meng exclaimed, as the team gathered around the ultrasound screen. The Sunda...
Baby on board!
The Laos vet team recently got a tiny, scaly surprise. “Oh my god! She has a baby!” veterinarian Meng exclaimed, as the team gathered around the ultrasound screen. The Sunda...
Young disabled moon bear rescued in Laos
Donate to help We’ve just rescued another moon bear in Laos, the 5th bear rescued this year. He’s estimated to be around two years old, and was kept in a...
Young disabled moon bear rescued in Laos
Donate to help We’ve just rescued another moon bear in Laos, the 5th bear rescued this year. He’s estimated to be around two years old, and was kept in a...
Special care for elderly rescued bears
Supporting our rescued bears through their golden years takes expert veterinary care, regional collaboration, and lifelong commitment. At Free the Bears, every rescue is a commitment to provide expert, lifelong...
Special care for elderly rescued bears
Supporting our rescued bears through their golden years takes expert veterinary care, regional collaboration, and lifelong commitment. At Free the Bears, every rescue is a commitment to provide expert, lifelong...
Two moon bear cubs rescued from Facebook sale i...
DONATE | DONATE UNITED KINGDOM - (option to GIFT-AID) Tiny, malnourished, and cramped into a plastic washing basket. That’s how two threatened moon bear cubs were...
Two moon bear cubs rescued from Facebook sale i...
DONATE | DONATE UNITED KINGDOM - (option to GIFT-AID) Tiny, malnourished, and cramped into a plastic washing basket. That’s how two threatened moon bear cubs were...
Savannakhet Wildlife Rescue Station welcomes it...
The Savannakhet Wildlife Rescue Station in southern Laos has officially welcomed its first residents. Two pangolins and two Southeast Asian softshell turtles were rescued by local law enforcement officers from...
Savannakhet Wildlife Rescue Station welcomes it...
The Savannakhet Wildlife Rescue Station in southern Laos has officially welcomed its first residents. Two pangolins and two Southeast Asian softshell turtles were rescued by local law enforcement officers from...
Quick-thinking tourist stops wildlife trafficki...
A tourist has helped stop an illegal wildlife trafficking attempt in Laos after discovering a live Sunda pangolin hidden inside a cardboard box while on a minivan tour – triggering...
Quick-thinking tourist stops wildlife trafficki...
A tourist has helped stop an illegal wildlife trafficking attempt in Laos after discovering a live Sunda pangolin hidden inside a cardboard box while on a minivan tour – triggering...
Two tiny moon bears rescued from wildlife traders
DONATE | DONATE UNITED KINGDOM (option to gift-aid) Two vulnerable Asiatic black bear cubs, also known as moon bears, have just been saved from a terrible fate in...
Two tiny moon bears rescued from wildlife traders
DONATE | DONATE UNITED KINGDOM (option to gift-aid) Two vulnerable Asiatic black bear cubs, also known as moon bears, have just been saved from a terrible fate in...
The next generation of wildlife vets in Laos
Jenny knew she wanted to be a wildlife vet from her very first visit to Tat Kuang Si Bear Sanctuary as a child. Her father, Lar, worked there as a...
The next generation of wildlife vets in Laos
Jenny knew she wanted to be a wildlife vet from her very first visit to Tat Kuang Si Bear Sanctuary as a child. Her father, Lar, worked there as a...
Help us name this sweet binturong
Who smells like popcorn, loves to climb, and is winning hearts at our Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary? Our resident rescued binturong! But this adorable little lady still needs the perfect...
Help us name this sweet binturong
Who smells like popcorn, loves to climb, and is winning hearts at our Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary? Our resident rescued binturong! But this adorable little lady still needs the perfect...
Notes from the field: investigating a wild bear...
Free the Bears is known for rescuing bears and giving them lifelong care in our sanctuaries across Southeast Asia. But our work to protect bears doesn’t stop there. We also...
Notes from the field: investigating a wild bear...
Free the Bears is known for rescuing bears and giving them lifelong care in our sanctuaries across Southeast Asia. But our work to protect bears doesn’t stop there. We also...
New digs underway for rescued reptiles in Laos
Exciting construction is underway at our Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary, with brand-new habitats for some of our lesser-known but equally important residents – rescued tortoises and freshwater turtles, many of...
New digs underway for rescued reptiles in Laos
Exciting construction is underway at our Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary, with brand-new habitats for some of our lesser-known but equally important residents – rescued tortoises and freshwater turtles, many of...
Training the front line to combat wildlife crime
Long before a bear reaches a rescue centre, a law enforcement officer has to recognise wildlife crime, intervene, and care for the bear until it can be reached by a...
Training the front line to combat wildlife crime
Long before a bear reaches a rescue centre, a law enforcement officer has to recognise wildlife crime, intervene, and care for the bear until it can be reached by a...
Students invited to design our new bear house
Calling all students and educators around the world! Help us design Free the Bears' newest bear house. As part of the 2026 Colchester Zoological Society's STEM Design Challenge, students around...
Students invited to design our new bear house
Calling all students and educators around the world! Help us design Free the Bears' newest bear house. As part of the 2026 Colchester Zoological Society's STEM Design Challenge, students around...
Opening the first wildlife rescue station in so...
Free the Bears, in partnership with Savannakhet Provincial Agriculture and Environment Office (PAEO), has opened the Savannakhet Wildlife Rescue Station, the first facility of its kind in southern Laos. The...
Opening the first wildlife rescue station in so...
Free the Bears, in partnership with Savannakhet Provincial Agriculture and Environment Office (PAEO), has opened the Savannakhet Wildlife Rescue Station, the first facility of its kind in southern Laos. The...
Young sun bear rescued just in time
Right before the year was out, we were able to rescue a young male sun bear from life behind bars. He is the 16th bear rescued this year. This young...
Young sun bear rescued just in time
Right before the year was out, we were able to rescue a young male sun bear from life behind bars. He is the 16th bear rescued this year. This young...
How much does a bear eat in a week?
Many of the rescued bears in our care were severely malnourished when we first met them. After years, sometimes decades, in captivity where they were deprived of their natural diet, the...
How much does a bear eat in a week?
Many of the rescued bears in our care were severely malnourished when we first met them. After years, sometimes decades, in captivity where they were deprived of their natural diet, the...
Bears' Print November 2025
We are once again equal parts astounded and proud of how much our teams have achieved over these past 12 months with a further 15 bears rescued...
Bears' Print November 2025
We are once again equal parts astounded and proud of how much our teams have achieved over these past 12 months with a further 15 bears rescued...
Big milestone for little Pooh
Pooh, a rescued sun bear, has climbed a tree for the very first time, and his carers caught it on camera!
Big milestone for little Pooh
Pooh, a rescued sun bear, has climbed a tree for the very first time, and his carers caught it on camera!