5 bear cubs just rescued!
One week after we feared three missing bear cubs had vanished into the illegal wildlife trade forever, we are relieved to share they have been found!
The three cubs, two moon bears and one sun bear, are now safe at Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary following an emotional rescue that saw our team make the same 600+ kilometre mountain journey twice.
Two additional moon bear cubs were also confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade in a separate operation, bringing the total number of rescued cubs to five in a week.
The rescue that almost didn’t happen
Last week, we received an urgent call about three young bear cubs being kept illegally as pets in a tiny cage, alongside two baby gibbons and a macaque.
Our Laos rescue team mobilised immediately, travelling 300 kilometres from the sanctuary in Luang Prabang to Vientiane, to bring the cubs to safety.
But when they arrived, the cages were empty. The three cubs had disappeared and so had the two gibbons.
Not knowing what had happened to them or where they had gone was heartbreaking.
While our team returned to the sanctuary empty-handed, local authorities immediately began investigating the animals whereabouts. We remained hopeful they would be found and worked closely with authorities to aid the investigation.
A week later, the call we had been hoping for came in – the cubs had been located!
A nearby team from Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife (LCTW) immediately secured the cubs for us to ensure their safety, while our rescue team once again set off on the 9 hour journey.
We are happy to report that the cubs and macaque have now made it safely back to Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary, and are in the care of our team. The gibbons are in the care of LCTW.
Critical care begins
Although they have arrived safely at the sanctuary, the cubs are in poor condition. They were kept in a small, dirty cage, and appear malnourished.
They are skinny, with patchy fur and swollen abdomens that may indicate a heavy parasite burden.
They are now receiving around-the-clock care, with our team closely monitoring their condition, providing treatment, and giving them the best possible chance to recover.
Two more cubs
Just two days after the first three cubs disappeared, authorities intercepted two more moon bear cubs being kept illegally as pets in another part of Laos. They swiftly brought them to our team at Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary.
The cubs arrived safely but after a traumatic start to life, they were frightened and initially reluctant to leave their transport crates.
With patience, and a little honey and milk, our experienced cub care team were able to gently coax them out.
It didn't take long for them to settle in, and now the pair are climbing, exploring, playing and beginning to settle into life in the cub nursery quarantine.
A record-breaking year
These five newest rescues come amid an extraordinarily busy year for Free the Bears.
11 orphaned bear cubs have been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade since March, a young moon bear suffering from stunted growth was rescued in May from a tiny cage in someone's driveway, and 27 moon bears were saved in the shutdown of an illegal bile farm – the largest ever bear farm rescue in Southeast Asia.
Our Laos sanctuary is now well beyond capacity, and we are working urgently to purchase neighbouring land, build additional bear houses and plant new forest habitats so every rescued bear has the safe, lifelong home they deserve.
Thank you to our community, for your enduring generosity, and always standing up for bears.
Without continued support, rescues like these simply would not be possible.