Opening the first wildlife rescue station in southern Laos

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 new multi-species facility will act as a lifesaving first-response centre for animals caught in snares, injured, or in need of urgent stabilisation before transport to a specialist sanctuary.

“Over the past 30 years, we have seen how delays during rescue operations can impact an animal’s recovery,” says Matt Hunt, CEO of Free the Bears.

“Having a facility in Savannakhet means local responders can act within hours instead of days, dramatically improving emergency response, supporting law enforcement, and ultimately giving more animals a second chance at life.”

“This marks a major step forward for the protection of threatened animals in Laos. Free the Bears is committed to supporting Laos in the fight against illegal wildlife trade, building much-needed infrastructure and upskilling law enforcement officers.”

Until now, when wildlife was confiscated from the illegal trade or found injured in southern Laos, rescuers had no dedicated facility to take or treat them locally, often leading to significant delays while rescue teams were mobilised from northern Laos.

For an injured or vulnerable animal, this waiting time can be the difference between life and death. Now, thanks to the generous support of Welttierschutzgesellschaft e.V. (WTG), this is changing, marking a major step forward for wildlife protection across Laos.

Laos Rescue 153 when found

In September 2024, a sun bear cub referred to as Laos Rescue 153 was found in Champasack Province, in the far south of Laos, with a devastating snare injury to its hind leg. Due to the remote location and the lack of a nearby rescue facility at the time, it took three days for the cub to reach full veterinary care. By then, the wound was severely infected and it was not possible to save the injured foot.

Today, Laos Rescue 153 is recovering well under round-the-clock care in Free the Bears’ cub nursery. With a first-response facility now based in southern Laos, future rescues like this can receive critical treatment within hours.

Laos Rescue 153 recovering well in the Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary Cub Nursery

Once stabilised, rescued animals will be carefully transported north to Free the Bears’ Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary or to our partner organisation the Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife (LCTW) near Vientiane.

There, they can begin rehabilitation or, where suitable, be prepared for release into protected habitats. This facility will benefit not only bears, but also other protected wildlife species such as pangolins, primates, leopard cats and tortoises.

Law enforcement officers and Free the Bears staff completing the Wildlife Care Course for Frontline First Responders

As part of its ongoing collaboration with law enforcement in Laos, Free the Bears has developed the Wildlife Care Course for Frontline First Responders, providing government officers with essential training in animal welfare, safe handling and crisis response.

To maximise the impact of the new station, law enforcement officers from Savannakhet are completing this training at the Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary throughout December.

Law enforcement officers learning to make formula for feeding rescued cubs

We are deeply grateful to WTG for supporting this transformative initiative, among many other critical infrastructure projects at our sanctuaries.

Their contribution is helping us respond faster, save more lives and create lasting impact for endangered wildlife in Laos. It is only thanks to the support of our donors that we can continue to rescue more animals and provide the lifelong care many will need.

Every donation makes a difference.