Sun bear cub rescued from the illegal wildlife trade in Cambodia
A small sun bear cub that was trapped in a small cage in someone's driveway, is finally safe after being rescued by Free the Bears and the Cambodia Forestry Administration.
The young cub was being kept illegally as a pet, deprived of everything a wild bear needs to grow. Thankfully the rescue team secured the cub and she has now arrived at Cambodia Bear Sanctuary, the world's largest sanctuary for rescued sun bears.
Safe after a long journey, the cub explores her leafy quarantine den before curling up for a well-earned sleep.
Sun bear cubs are entirely dependent on their mothers during the first months of life. Tragically, cubs like this are illegally taken from the wild and sold into the pet trade, after their mothers are killed by poachers.
Because cubs taken in this way miss the critical years of learning from their mothers, this little bear will now need to spend her life in the safety of sanctuary. She will have access to a spacious forested habitat to climb, forage, swim, build nests and simply learn to be a bear in a natural environment again.
In expert hands
Our Bear Care team in Cambodia have rehabilitated dozens of rescued sun bear cubs over the years, giving vulnerable bears the best possible chance to thrive, after their traumatic start to life.
This cub is the 12th orphaned bear cub rescued by Free the Bears this year. Alongside these young bears, our teams have also rescued dozens of adult bears in 2026, including 27 moon bears saved during Southeast Asia's largest-ever bear farm rescue.
With more than 40 bears rescued so far, this year has already become one of the biggest years in Free the Bears' history.
We will share more of this little cub's journey with you as she settles in. If you'd like to support her lifelong care at sanctuary, you can make a donation at the link below.
