An innovative new home for rescued bears – and gibbons!
An innovative new forest enclosure has opened at Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary, creating much-needed space for six young moon bears rescued from an illegal bile farm earlier this year, while finding a clever solution to another sanctuary challenge.
The 13th Bear House is the latest addition to the sanctuary following the busiest rescue year in Free the Bears’ history. Already in 2026, our teams have rescued 52 bears across Southeast Asia.
For a sanctuary committed to providing rescued bears with spacious forest enclosures where they can roam, forage, climb and explore, every new rescue brings an urgent need for more space.
“One of our biggest challenges is ensuring our sanctuary can continue to grow alongside the need for rescue,” said Free the Bears CEO Matt Hunt.
“We never want to leave a bear in need behind because we don’t have room. At the same time, we are committed to giving every bear in our care the space and environment they need to live an enriched life.
That means expanding but also continually looking for innovative ways to make the best possible use of the space we already have.”
One forest, two species
While bears might be in our name, Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary is home to many species of rescued wildlife, including two northern white-cheeked gibbons named Gail and Don.
Working with primate specialist Holly Thompson from our conservation partner Perth Zoo, who supported the project through an Australian Volunteers Program assignment, the team designed the bear house so its large forest habitat can eventually be shared by both bears and gibbons.
Holly Thompson and Free the Bears Regional Animal Manager Anuradha Jayasinghe
Two purpose-built gibbon climbing towers provide elevated spaces for the gibbons, while carefully planned electric fencing will separate how the animals use the natural trees within the forest. Some trees will remain accessible for the bears to climb, while others will be protected from the bears, creating safe aerial pathways for the gibbons.
Even the den building has been designed with both species in mind: bears can use dens on the ground floor, while gibbon sleeping areas can be located above.
The innovative design will allow us to provide high-quality habitat for two very different species within the same forest area. It will also allow the gibbons’ current forest enclosure to be repurposed for other rescued wildlife.
A new home for six rescued moon bears
The first residents of this house are six of the 27 young moon bears rescued from an illegal bile farm in Laos – the largest bear farm rescue ever undertaken in Southeast Asia.
Despite growing up in a tiny cage, one bear (nicknamed Ling), bravely shot straight out of her den and into the forest enclosure on the very first day, immediately climbing a tree and building a nest!
Most bears are tentative when they first get access to the forest. It can take days, weeks, even months for them to build the confidence to explore or feel the natural earth under their paws.
That was NOT the case for Ling (meaning: monkey in Lao), not only climbing, but immediately using her instinct to build a big leafy nest in the canopy, despite not having grown up with a mother to teach her. It was an emotional moment for the team, and a testament to the resilience of these bears when given the chance at a better life.
Rescued moon bear Ling in the treetops, sitting in her nest.
For now, these young bears can live together in larger social groups, making the new forest a fantastic home as they continue to grow and recover. As they mature, however, their needs and social dynamics will change. They will eventually require smaller social groups and significantly more space, making continued sanctuary expansion essential.
“After the biggest year of rescues in our history, seeing another group of bears move into a beautiful forest enclosure is really special,” Matt said.
“We simply couldn’t keep creating these spaces without the people who choose to stand behind our work.
Every new house means we are better prepared to say ‘yes’ when the next bear needs us.”
The 13th bear house was made possible thanks to the generous support of Colchester Zoo AFTW, Brown Bear Coffee and the Sylvanus Charitable Trust.
We are incredibly grateful for their support in helping us create a safe home for rescued wildlife in Laos.
