It's not every day you see 2 moon bears travelling across the ocean by boat.

But that's exactly what happened when a joint rescue team from Cambodia's Forestry Administration and Free the Bears embarked on an extraordinary mission to bring 2 bears to safety from the Cambodian island Koh Rong.

For the past 3 years, the bears had been confined to a cage behind an island hotel. Getting them to the safety of the Cambodia Bear Sanctuary would involve an unusual challenge: transporting nearly 400kg of bear across the sea, and then a 200km road trip!

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A CHANGE OF HEART

The rescue began when a concerned tourist spotted the bears living in a cage behind a hotel on Koh Rong and reported them to Free the Bears.

The bears had been brought to the island as tiny cubs around 3 years earlier, weighing just 10 kg each. They had reportedly been brought from a mountain village and raised by the resort owners, who considered them beloved pets. Now, they had grown to nearly 200 kg, and their owners were struggling to provide the space and specialised care they needed.

Initially, the owners were reluctant to surrender them. They had cared for the bears for years and were understandably attached. 

This is something our teams encounter regularly. Not everyone who keeps a bear understands the harm involved. Some people acquire cubs believing they are rescuing them from a worse fate with a poacher, or simply don't realise that a wild animal cannot thrive as a pet. 

And even when owners recognise that they can no longer meet a bear's needs, handing over an animal they have cared for over many years can be an incredibly difficult decision.

Trust and education is key

Our research with former bear bile farmers in Vietnam revealed concerns about surrendering their bears that might surprise you. Will my bear receive enough food?  Will sanctuary staff be able to tell my bear from the other bears and care for them properly? What if they release my bear back into the wild without the skills to survive?

These are the questions of people who feel  a responsibility towards animals in their care.

That's why building trust is such an important part of our work. In situations where authorities cannot legally confiscate a bear, voluntary surrender can be the only pathway to sanctuary.

By helping owners understand what bears need we can  change attitudes towards keeping bears as pets.

In the case of these two bears on Koh Rong, that turning point came when their owners were shown videos of rescued bears at the Cambodia Bear Sanctuary, exploring large forest habitats, climbing trees and foraging.

Seeing the life that their bears could have, they made the difficult but compassionate decision to voluntarily surrender them, giving them a chance at a better life.

The two moon bears are now in the expert hands of our Cambodia Bear Sanctuary team. After an epic journey by land and sea, their next steps are health assessments, quarantine, and time to adjust.

In time, we hope to see them exploring the sanctuary's large, natural forest enclosures, with trees to climb, nutritious food to forage for, pools to enjoy and plenty of space.

This extraordinary rescue is also a wonderful example of what can be achieved when people work together for wildlife. A tourist who recognised that the bears needed help, owners were willing to learn, supporters from around the world, and close collaboration between Cambodia's Forestry Administration and Free the Bears rescuers.

The bear’s ocean adventure may be over, but thanks to this teamwork, their new lives are just beginning.

Watch the rescue

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Threats bears are facing:

Bear bile farming

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Illegal wildlife  trade

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