Photo Exhibition - Alex Cearns

 

 

Alex Cearns OAM is a renowned Australian professional photographer who specialises in capturing stunning animal portraits. Through her business, Houndstooth Studio, she has photographed more than 15,000 animals and has won over 350 awards for her photography, philanthropy, and business acumen. She is an advocate and voice for animal rescue and conservation and has been awarded the prestigious Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to the community through photography. She has provided photography services and fundraising support to Free The Bears since 2012, and has travelled to photograph their resident bears in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and India. See more of Alex's work on Instagram 

 

PLEASE MAKE A DONATION TO HELP RESCUE & CARE FOR VULNERABLE SUN BEARS & MOON BEARS, THANK YOU!

       

 

 1. Mary Christmas, star of BBC’s ‘Bears About the House’ at the Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary in Laos. Sun bears are the world's smallest bear. Each sun bear has a unique golden u-shaped chest mark, like a fingerprint. Found in 11 countries across Southeast Asia, they are a ‘Vulnerable’ species, meaning a high risk of extinction in the wild

 2. Asiatic black bear, Nancy, at the Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary, She was rescued with her brother Sid in 2022. Asiatic black bears are also known as moon bears due to their unique white crescent-shaped chest mark. They are a medium-sized bear with large, round ears. Found in 18 countries, they are classified as a ‘Vulnerable’ species
3. Mary Christmas, rescued in Laos in 2019. Sun bears are omnivores, mostly feeding on insects & fruits. With large sickle-shaped claws & powerful jaws (canine teeth the same size as a polar bear), they are a keystone species, dispersing seeds, controlling pests, digging, & breaking open logs, which helps the nutrient cycle & creates homes for other species. They also have the longest tongue of all bears, which they can extend 30cm to reach insects & honey, their favourite food
4. Rescued moon bear in Laos. Moon bears are a keystone species, serving a role as doctor, engineer & farmer of the forest. They are omnivores with a diverse diet that includes fruits, insects, invertebrates, small vertebrates & carrion. They are excellent swimmers & climbers & their sense of smell is 2-3,000 times more powerful than that of humans
5. Ralph, rescued from a private zoo in Cambodia in 2007. Sun bears are the most arboreal bear species, spending more time in trees than all other bears. With inward-facing front paws to help them climb, they even build nests in trees where they’ll often sleep. Despite missing a paw, likely from a snare trap, Ralph is an expert climber

6. Moon bear in Cat Tien Bear Rescue Centre, Vietnam. Moon bears face many threats including habitat loss, the illegal wildlife trade, wire snare traps set by poachers, the exotic pet trade, human-bear conflicts & bear bile farms. Bear bile farming is a cruel practice where bears are taken from the wild & spend years in small cages, with bile extracted from their gall bladders for traditional medicine (despite herbal & scientific alternatives existing). Most bears die young in the farms. This cruel practice will soon end in Vietnam, although, other countries continue to allow it
7. Sloth bear (another 'Vulnerable' bear species) at sanctuary in India, rescued under a joint project to end the centuries-old dancing bear tradition & help the local Kalandar people. Free the Bears has helped rescue over 1,000 sun, moon & sloth bears, providing lifelong care to hundreds of bears rescued from the illegal wildlife trade & bile farms at their sanctuaries in Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam
8. Sun bear takes a dip at the Cambodia Bear Sanctuary. Free the Bears operates the world's largest sanctuary of rescued sun bears in Cambodia. Most bears have been taken from the wild as cubs, they may have seen their mothers killed by poachers. They are often sold as exotic pets, destined to spend their entire lives in a small cage
9. Moon bear Champa, with a brain injury, but free from pain. Rescued as a cub in Laos in 2010, Champa suffered from hydrocephalus & became the world’s first bear to undergo brain surgery, allowing her to live pain-free for years. Without safe & protected forest suitable for release, lifelong care is required bears rescued by Free the Bears
10. Cheeky and adorable sun bear cub Arya Stark at 3 months old, at the Cambodia Bear Sanctuary. Free the Bears is a world leader in bear cub care, having rescued & raised more Vulnerable bear cubs than any other organisation worldwide. Tragically, most of the cubs are orphans, their mothers killed by poachers
11. Moon bear at Cat Tien Bear Sanctuary, Vietnam. At Free the Bears sanctuaries, rescued bears enjoy beautiful bear houses & large, natural enclosures, allowing them to forage, climb & dig like wild bears. Their environments are ‘enriched’ to encourage them to explore & interact with their surroundings, stimulate their highly intelligent minds, & give them choices to help them feel more in control of their environment, leading to healthier & more content bears. Enrichment can take the form of enclosure furniture such as climbing platforms, swimming pools, hammocks, caves & swings. Or challenges & activities such as scatter feeds, scent trails, puzzle feeders, toys or a treat ball, which you can see here

 

Please help rescue & care for sun bears & moon bears that desperately need help by making a DONATION or by joining our family of BEAR CARERS, THANK YOU!