5 moon bears rescued!
After a carefully planned three-day rescue operation, our team has brought five moon bears that were caged on a farm in Laos, to Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre, where they can finally begin a brighter chapter of their lives.
Rescuing five adult bears is no small undertaking – particularly when they are older, malnourished or in poor health. Each bear needed to be assessed and moved carefully by our veterinary and rescue teams. Thankfully, everything went smoothly!
Now we're getting to know them
Across the rescue, our team has been able to learn more about the care each bear will need.
Two of the males are extremely thin and fragile. Their hip bones are clearly visible, and our veterinary team will be carefully managing their nutrition to increase their strength.
We've also discovered that the third male is mostly blind. For now, our team is working to understand the extent and cause of his vision loss and how best to support him.
Bears rely on much more than sight to understand their surroundings, including an extraordinary sense of smell, but adapting to a new environment will need to be a slow and careful process to help him feel safe and confident.
A very different future
One of the hardest things to see during the rescue was just how close these bears were to the natural world they were denied.
From their cages, they could hear the rush of fresh water nearby, smell the earth and leaves, and see the vegetation growing around them. But none of it was within reach. Instead, they lived on hard concrete floors, unable to dig in the earth, explore the forest, or drink fresh water freely.
At Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre, these five bears will now be able to feel the grass under their feet and the sun on their faces.
They'll receive nutritious food, veterinary treatment, enrichment and specialist care, and as their health allows, they'll also have opportunities to explore forest habitats and choose how they want spend their days.
We have made a commitment to giving them a safe home like this for the rest of their lives.
To everyone who donated, shared their story or sent messages of support: thank you.
You helped us say yes to five bears who desperately needed somewhere safe to go.
