Bears' Print - Free the Bears Newsletter Dec 2016

BEARS’ PRINT FREE THE BEARS NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER 2016 21 YEARS OF PROTECTING BEARS INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

SPOTLIGHT ON the impact of bear bile farming on wild bears FOCUS ON building progress in Vietnam FREE THE BEARS aims to protect, preserve and enrich the lives of bears throughout the world.

MESSAGE FROM MARY

Bamboo and Wandi will be enjoying Christmas together rather than trapped in solitary confinement thanks to being rescued this year

Dear Members, Supporters and Friends, It is hard to believe that we are approaching the end of 2016 already - it feels like only yesterday that we were making the final preparations for the 21st anniversary and the launch of our Bears Alive! campaign to celebrate more than 900 lives freed from fear, pain and exploitation. Over the past nine months our wonderful supporters have come up with all manner of inspired ways to celebrate this milestone - from art exhibitions to cocktail evenings and even dogs in paddling pools. And the end result - more happy bears being rescued each month whilst the hundreds already in our care enjoy a quality of life that I don’t think we could ever have imagined 21 years ago. We still have a few more months of our 21st year ahead of us so if you have been considering organising an event for Bears Alive! please do - we have achieved so much already but 2017 looks likely to be our busiest year ever!

Over the past few months our teams have begun work on a brand new, world-class sanctuary in Vietnam that will allow bears, rescued from bile farms in which they never got to feel the sun on their backs or the grass under their feet, to finally learn how to be bears again. Being located within a national park (with its own resident population of wild bears!) the new sanctuary will offer these survivors the chance to relearn the skills and behaviours that have been denied to them for so many years.

Over time, they will once again learn to page 02

enjoy the cooling effect of splashing around Wishing you all the most fantastic of festive in a pool, the thrill of scooting up a tree and seasons and THANK YOU all once again from the bottom of my heart for allowing us the hazards of digging too enthusiastically to ensure that - for hundreds of bears in our into a termite mound! They will be given care - every day is like Christmas day! the chance to do all of this at their own pace - enjoying the freedom of choice to With much love and bear hugs, go outside or stay indoors, swim or climb, and hopefully to forge new friendships Mary with others of their own kind who, like them, have survived years of solitude, pain and fear. All of this is made possible by the incredible generosity of Hank - aka Cambodia Rescue 196 - is just one of cubs who will be spending our supporters around their first Christmas in our care following their rescue in 2016 the world, without your help absolutely none of what we do would be possible. I do hope that as you work your way through your Christmas list this year you will spare a thought for the bears - we have a number of new items available within our merchandise range and of course a bear sponsorship makes the perfect gift for a loved one!

UPDATES FROM THE FIELD

Our latest arrival - Cambodia Rescue 197

CAMBODIA

We’re at the time of year where our Cub Care Team are on standby for new arrivals; we generally see an increase in rescues towards the end of the year as cubs are beginning to move around their forest habitat, putting them at risk of being caught by illegal hunters. However, our latest cub to arrive was a shock to everyone when one of our rescued Moon bears gave birth to twins in the early morning of the 8th November. We deliberately don’t breed our bears at the Cambodian Bear Sanctuary, we already have enough mouths to feed and new cubs are arriving all the time so it would be wasteful to take up space for rescued bears with further cubs bred in captivity.

Accidents do happen though and at some point in the last 8 months Cyril Sunshine and Angel managed to have a moment to themselves to do what comes naturally to all species. Angel shares an enclosure with her sister Cookie and for some time it was difficult to tell who was the mother as both bears were intent on caring for the newborns. Unfortunately one of the cubs died shortly after birth, however Angel and Cookie cared for the remaining cub and only after a few days did Cookie finally leave the hammock to find food, leaving

Angel and the new cub happily feeding.

The cub will remain with Angel now for as long as she is providing care and doing the things that a mother bear should be doing. Cyril meanwhile may have to be relocated to another house to avoid any further mishaps!

when he arrived. He was given some food and a quiet place in the Cub Nursery to bed down for the night. He had calmed considerably by first light and is now thriving under the care of the Cub Nursery staff.

An unfortunately more regular type of arrival occurred late on Saturday evening, the 12th November. A team of rangers from Wildlife Alliance in the Southern Cardamom National Park had attempted to apprehend a suspect with a wooden box. The rangers were unsure what was in the box, but closer inspection revealed a terrified and understandably aggressive Sun bear cub. Unfortunately the offenders had fled the scene, as is all too often the case. Aware of the need for haste, the rangers set out on their journey across the country immediately, arriving at the Cub Nursery at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre in the early hours of the 13th November. The young male weighed around 7kg but getting an exact weight was difficult as he was still very upset

In other news, our research team began surveys to improve our understanding of public attitudes and behaviours towards bears and bear part use. The results will build on our previous work in Laos and will help us to identify key consumer groups and design targeted conservation messaging in order to reduce demand for bear bile (and other bear products), helping to keep bears in the wild. The Awareness, Communication & Education Team were kept busy spreading the word with a huge group from our friends at Little Planet and the National Public School of Singapore. By the end of the week-long field trip to our Cambodian Bear Sanctuary we now have 75 more dedicated young people joining us on our journey to Free the Bears.

Students from Little Planet ready to return to Singapore as wildlife warriors! page 03

UPDATES FROM THE FIELD

LAOS The 38 rescued bears already in our care in Laos have had a busy year with many of the social groups rearranged to prevent unwanted pregnancies and prepare for the transfer of several groups to the new sanctuary. The six cubs rescued between September and November last year are growing bigger by the day and would certainly benefit from more space to run

particular just relishing any opportunity to investigate something new. Work is due to get underway on the first enclosures at the new site before the end of the year and so we’re hoping to be in a position to move at least one group of bears up to the new sanctuary by April 2017 - allowing these youngsters and all of the other bears at Tat Kuang Si the chance to upgrade their existing enclosures and trade them in for bigger homes!

Kung Fu and his trio of friends rescued in April of this year continue to delight both the visitors and our team with their energetic playfulness. In October we were fortunate to receive a very special wood chipper machine that can be used to turn

like your average 20-something lad down the gym with his buddies!

In amongst all of the activity at the sanctuary, our team has been continuing to work with the Lao authorities to secure a commitment to phase out bear bile farming once and for all. At the global CITES conference in South Africa this September the Lao government announced its intention to phase out tiger farming in their country - a bold move that won the applause of many in the international community who have been calling for greater enforcement of the wildlife and aquatic laws. With the support of several embassies and international agencies we have presented a plan to

Our fast-growing cubs are crying out for a brand new home - its all they want for Christmas! around and play - fortunately these funloving little terrors absolutely love their 6-metre high climbing frame and spend much of their time engaged in some ursine form of “King of the Castle”, barely touching the ground apart from when it is feeding time! Next door the trio of juvenile girls made up of Tracey Louise, B.B and Mii Mii have also been making the most of some new enrichment toys created by our team - with Tracey Louise and B.B. in

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fallen branches into a beautiful mulch - just perfect for young bears to snuffle around in and seek out insect snacks! At the same time we also received a gigantic 85kg Aussie Dog treat ball - originally designed as a toy for Polar bears but clearly nobody told Bobby, Douey, Hauser and Kobe that! Each of the boys has been doing his best to show off to his friends - tossing the ball around, lifting it high above their heads and generally behaving

phase out bear bile farming in Laos by 2020. This could mean upwards of 150 bears being rescued over the next three years and would obviously require a significant investment in developing the new sanctuary ready to house the new arrivals but we are confident of this plans feasibility and look forward to working with our partners in Laos to ensure that bear bile farming is relegated to history before more bears are lost from Laos’ forests.

UPDATES FROM THE FIELD

With winter fast approaching our Sloth bear residents at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility are beginning to feel the slight nip in the air.

The evenings are colder, encouraging most of the bears to retreat indoors to the warmth of their dens, while the friendlier bears snuggle up together for the night. There’s a noticeable dip in their activity even during the day, and those that venture out only do so in search of a little patch of sunshine in which they can take a nap!

INDIA

For the younger bears, however, not even the cold can keep them from their shenanigans, and our youngest residents can still be seen spending hours on their enrichment structures.

Siblings Bean and Bintha are no exception and remain outdoors engrossed in playtime till sundown, encouraged and joined by their new friend Elvis in their play, following his introduction into their group in September.

Of course playfulness among the younger bears comes with its fair share of playground cuts and bruises, and Pooja bear managed to tear her lower lip during a tussle with her friends Kabilan and Kanmani. The veterinarians had to stitch up the wound, and poor Pooja had to wait a week for the sutures to heal

the wild. However, since Rose’s natural instincts and feisty spirit are still very much intact, the enclosure needs to be specially designed for her. The team is hard at work getting the enclosure completed, and we’re excited at the thought of seeing her roaming about in the large space soon enough – hopefully in time for her first year anniversary in our care.

In the adjoining space, Kirti bear was just re-entering her enclosure after a brief hiatus and looking forward to being reunited with her friends. Kirti has had a rough couple of weeks as her liver function appeared compromised and she developed a skin infection that caused her fur to fall out. The veterinarians treated her immediately, but Kirti had to go through some time in quarantine and be kept under observation before she was finally allowed back into her enclosure. There was lots of sniffing and excited interaction between the bears as she entered for the first time in a while, before she ambled off happily to check out the new structural enrichment that had been built since she had left.

Down south, the team at the Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre recently travelled to Koratagere village where villagers had discovered a wild Sloth bear in terrible pain with a wire snare intertwined around its waist. Her desperate attempts to break free had only tightened the cruel implement’s grip, trapping her further. The team had to act fast, tranquilising the bear, freeing it from the snare and conducting a thorough medical assessment that assured them that there was no internal damage to the animal’s body. The external wounds were treated immediately, and we’re happy to announce that the bear was eventually released back into the wild.

Kirti recovering after her illness completely, longingly watching the other bears in her enclosure, before being let back in. True to form, Pooja immediately resumed tumbling about in the grass with her buddies, the mishap long forgotten.

Construction is now underway on a new enclosure for a very special bear. Our most recent addition to the bear family at Agra, Rose was rescued in January of this year after a poaching snare robbed her of her forelimb and her mother. Although the injuries Rose sustained from the snare made it impossible for her to ever be released into the wild, we are determined to give her a life as close as possible to the one she would have had in

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The snared bear receiving treatment prior to re-release

UPDATES FROM THE FIELD

VIETNAM

is much like assembling a giant jigsaw puzzle, all the parts were erected on site and either bolted or welded depending on the schedule from the engineers.

This took less than the allotted 2 weeks, the roof (which will eventually become a green roof) was installed on the 31st October and by the 2nd November the prefabricated steel structure was complete.

Breaking ground and bringing hope to bears in Vietnam!

Construction of the new bear sanctuary in Cat Tien National Park is now in full swing, despite all that the weather gods can throw at us. The first structure to be completed will be a 10-den bear house with storage area opening up in to 8,500m2 of rainforest. Thanks to our good friends at Building Trust international, we are trialing a new method of construction for our bear houses. The modular design and prefabricated skeleton mean that we can custom-build each house to fit the lay of the land – perfect in this hilly and rugged terrain. Gabion walls will be used to bulk out the structure and provide shelter from the elements while allowing the forest to grow back into the building.

Cat Tien National Park Director Mr. Nguyen Dien was on site and ceremoniously struck the ground with the first shovel and, as predicted, from then on construction ran smoothly and efficiently. The extra time in preparing for this phase meant adjustments could be made to the prefabrication of the building to allow for almost all of it to be made off site. The site is remote, everything must cross the river by ferry into the park and climbing the steep terrain of the Elephant Hill meant some heavy machinery was required. The laying of foundations was completed by the 17th October ready for

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the concrete to be poured into the waiting molds.

The heavy rain that lashed the site for the remainder of October was welcomed – wet concrete dries harder than sunbaked concrete and after a short time setting, the molds were removed and the prefabricated steel structure arrived on site at the end of October. This part

Thanks again to our friends at BTi, we secured the services of a young architect who will now train the local staff to build the gabion walls by hand – a laborious task but one that will make this building unique. Currently we are on schedule to complete the building from scratch in 3 months. Simultaneously we have a team also working on the outside forest enclosures where the bears will spend the majority of their time.

Meanwhile in the existing sanctuary, the keepers are still working tirelessly to provide the necessary enrichment required in some of the most difficult circumstances. It has been a long time coming, but there is finally light at the end of the tunnel.

A Sun bear gazes out from its den in the current Cat Tien Bear Rescue Centre - eagerly awaiting the new sanctuaries completion Credit: Alex Cearns/Houndstooth Studio

FOCUS - Building Progress in Vietnam After what has at times felt like endless delays, the construction of our world-class new sanctuary in Vietnam is now well underway - with the first of at least six planned Bear Houses taking shape and hopefully ready to welcome its first residents in early 2017. Each Bear House will feature roomy dens for the bears to relax in - with specially crafted hammocks and nest baskets allowing the bears to enjoy a level of comfort that is unimaginable to their cousins trapped on bile farms. The dens will be kept cool thanks to an innovative green roof design, whilst the use of local materials throughout will ensure that each building blends into the surrounds of the National Park.

Stepping outside the bears will enjoy some of the biggest forest enclosures in the world - up to 10,000m2 with pools,

climbing towers, snug caves and a heap of enrichment toys adding to the rich diversity of the bears’ new environment. Literally hundreds of trees will provide shade, browse and natural fruit for the bears to forage - and we’ve no doubt that at least a few of the trees will become favourite climbing posts for our inquisitive ursids!

Construction of Bear House 1 has been made possible thanks to the generous support of our friends at Welttierschutzgesellschaft in Germany, the Primrose Trust in the UK and the Nola Criddle Foundation in Australia. It’s a truly international effort to give these bears the very best care possible! Of course we still have a long way to go, with construction of Bear House 2 scheduled to begin just as soon as Bear House 1 is completed. With your help we won’t stop until the last bear is removed No life for a bear - thanks to your support this from the farms in Vietnam! year we’ll soon have the chance to bring bears out of cages like this and allow them a second chance at life!

The new sanctuary encompasses over 10hectares of lush forest for the bears to explore!

The first of the Bear Houses under construction at the new sanctuary in Cat TIen National Park, Vietnam

SPOTLIGHT ON

THE IMPACT OF BEAR BILE FARMING ON WILD BEAR POPULATIONS Sun bear, with Moon bears particularly targeted for the bile farming industry. Working with our partners at Animals Asia and Vinh University in Vietnam, and with support from experts in the IUCN Bear Specialist Group, Free the Bears recently completed a nationwide survey examining the status and distribution of wild bear populations in Vietnam.

Bears are difficult to spot in Southeast Asia's forests at the One of the survivors of Vietnam's bear bile farming best of times, and so our research misadventure - awaiting rescue teams used a method known as Proponents of bear bile farming have Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) long held that the practise helps conserve to quiz villagers living in and around bear wild bears by supplying a pre-existing habitat in order to gauge their opinions on demand from consumers in a manner the status of wild bear populations living that doesn't require the killing of wild nearby. In total more than 1,400 villagers bears for their gall bladders and bile. were surveyed, living in more than 100 According to this theory, the demand for villages sited in and around 22 protected bear bile is satisfied through the ongoing areas right across Vietnam. The results draining of caged bears which, when not were astounding with 98% of villagers being milked for their bile, are able to surveyed stating that they believed that reproduce and thus sustain the industry in much the same way that the cattle industry works around the world. There is a certain logic to this theory as of course a slaughtered wild bear will only produce one serving of bear bile whereas a caged bear can produced litres over the course of its lifetime, however in order to assess whether this endeavour has indeed helped to protect wild bears, we need to look at the impact of bear bile farming on wild bear populations.

Vietnam is in a unique position amongst the six remaining bear bile farming nations - having allowed the industry to expand rapidly between the mid-1990's until 2005 and then taking steps to eliminate the trade over the past decade. With a population of over 90million people and a strong culture of using traditional medicine Vietnam is home to two species of bear, the Moon bear and the smaller

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98% of villagers surveyed said that they believed that wild bear populations had declined over the past 10 years

wild bear populations had declined over the past 10 years and most specifically identifying the period between 1990 and 2005 as being the time of most rapid decline in the numbers of wild bears.

This timeframe coincides perfectly with the period in which bear bile farming expanded rapidly in Vietnam - from an estimated 500 bears in 1997 to a height of at least 4,349 bears in 2006. Amongst the 98% of villagers who believed that wild bear populations had declined, hunting and trapping was overwhelming believed to be the number one cause for the decline.

Based on our findings it seems clear that allowing the establishment of bear bile farms in Vietnam has not had a positive impact on wild bear populations, and so we are determined to continue to assist the government in its efforts to shut down the bile farming industry within their country. The number of bears thought to be remaining in bile farms is believed to be around 1,200 individuals today - a shocking number but already down more than 70% over the past decade. Through the combined efforts of the members of the Vietnam Bear Working Group and government agencies fewer than 300 bears have been brought into sanctuaries over the past decade and so it is clear that several thousand bears must have already died (or been killed) without ever having the chance to feel the grass underneath their feet once again. We owe it to the survivors of this terrible misadventure to double our efforts to bring as many as possible into the safety of sanctuaries whilst ensuring that those bears remaining in the wild are given a chance to not only survive, but hopefully thrive, once again.

Special Appeal - Hope on the Horizon

Give the gift of Hope this Christmas - by sponsoring Hope the Moon bear you’ll be helping us end the suffering of bears in Vietnam’s bile farms.

No-one knows where Hope was born... she and seven other Moon bear cubs were seized from a wildlife traders house in the Central Highlands of Vietnam thirteen years ago in December 2003.

Being close to the border of Laos, it is quite likely that she was stolen from the forest and illegally trafficked across the border from Laos, stuffed into cases placed underneath public buses or carried across the porous border under the cover of night. Her entire front right foot is missing, along with all but one of her toes on her left foot, meaning that she was almost certainly captured using a wire snare and would have been in excruciating pain for a long time. Like anyone in pain, she was very defensive of herself, earning her the nickname of “Miss Grumpy” when we first met her.

Hope has come a long way over the past 13 years - from huddling in the corner of her den afraid of coming outside she has blossomed into an inquisitive and adventurous bear. She interacts with the other female Moon bears in her group every day as they explore the forest

enclosure at Cat Tien. Contrary to expectations Hope has amazed us all with her fondness for climbing atop the platforms where she can sunbathe and enjoy a cooling breeze. She really does show us just how resilient these bears are - given the chance they will seize life with both paws (or whatever they have left!)

With construction of our new sanctuary now well underway we are preparing to move the first group of bears up to the new site - getting them out of dens and into a world-class environment that will allow them to blossom just like Hope has.

We’ll also be able to start rescuing more bears currently trapped in bile farms across Ho Chi Minh City and southern Vietnam. The rehabilitation process for these bears can take weeks, months or even years - the most important thing is that we allow the bears to take things one step at a time, and always at their own pace.

By sponsoring Hope for just AU$200 for six months or AU$400 for a year, you’ll not only ensure that Hope continues to

receive everything she needs to continue her rehabilitation, you’ll also be helping us create a world-class home for ALL of the bears at Cat Tien National Park, plus many more awaiting our help in Vietnam.

Sponsors will receive a beautiful photo pack and certificate along with an update on Hope’s progress and news from the sanctuary.

So this Christmas, please consider giving the gift of Hope to one of your loved ones, and we’ll spread the love amongst many more bears in Vietnam!

To ensure our bears are mentally and physically stimulated, we provide enrichment for them on a daily basis. This can be in the form of Treat Balls, Honey, Hammocks, Health Check, Climbing Tower & Swimming Pools. You will receive a photo & certificate in a folder when you buy a bear a treat.

Please tick (all prices are GST inclusive)

Cambodia Brandy Shoelace Dewi Mokiyup

Laos Kham Lom Vieng

India Amitab CJ

Vietnam Hope

Perfect Gifts for Christmas

CHRISTMAS CARDS

Pack of six, various designs featuring our rescued bears. $12 each, postage $3, overseas $5

CUTEST BEAR CUB EVER!

assorted all-purpose greetings cards, pack of six, $12 each, postage $3, overseas $5.

2017 FREE THE BEARS WALL CALENDAR

NEW! Brighten up your days with this beautiful calendar featuring images of our stunning bears enjoying life in our sanctuaries.

COST: $23 each POST: $3 Aus, $5 O/S

CALICO BAG

COST: $10 each POST: $3 Aus, $5 O/S

GETINVOLVED

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Membership Means So Much! Memberships play a vital role for the fund. Membership fees cover our minimal administrative costs, thereby allowing 100% of donations to go directly to the bears. This helps guarantee the bears in our various sanctuaries around the world a safe, peaceful and happy existence. 1-year and 3-year Memberships are available now, but please consider our Life Memberships to show your commitment to the bears. All members will receive a complimentary Raju soft toy, certificate and invitations to exclusive Free the Bears events.

Costs for membership are just Initial $60 – Renewal $35 – Life $325

DECEMBER - COMING EVENTS

Sunday, 18th December, 1-4pm

WA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

great range of vegetarian and vegan delights! Tickets

Perth Zoo Lecture Theatre

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Friday 2nd December 2016, 2pm-5pm Come join us for our AGM and hear updates on all our programmes over 2016 - our busiest year yet!

WA VOLUNTEER CHRISTMAS PARTY

Raffles, door prizes and an auction plus of course a $50 per person. Contact Jeanette for bookings 0421

JANUARY 2017 WA Hainault Vineyard and Cafe, 255 Walnut Road,

Japanese Gardens, Perth Zoo

Bickley

Friday 2nd December 2016, 6pm-9pm

21st January 2017 5.30 – 9pm

Wine, nibbles and updates on the latest news from

Join us for an exquisite 3-course dinner plus wine

our sanctuaries plus a chance to reflect on everything

and live music under the stars at this special event to

that has been accomplished over the past year for our

help raise funds for the new sanctuaries in Vietnam

bears!

and Laos. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options

NSW CHRISTMAS PARTY

available (with notice). Tickets $68 each - please call

Lentil as Anything, 391 Kings Street, Newtown

freethebears.org.au before 17th January!

the Perth office on 08 9244 1066 or email office@

MAKING A MONTHLY DONATION TO SUPPORT OUR BEARS With more bears arriving at our sanctuaries each month, many of them suffering from terrible injuries sustained at the hands of their captors, monthly donations are a great way to help provide for their care. Each tin of milk formula (essential for orphaned cubs) costs $15 while $30 helps provide honey and other tasty treats for a rescued Moon bear for a week. Monthly donations help you to plan your finances more easily, and help us to budget for the ongoing care of bears that require life-long support. Just contact Jeannie in our Perth office on accounts@freethebears.org.au if you’d like to know how to set up monthly donations.

FREE THE BEARS FUND INC. PO Box 1393, Osborne Park DC , WA 6916, Australia

FREE THE BEARS UK PO Box 6395, Basildon, Essex, SS14 0NY

Tel: +61 (08) 9244 1096 Fax: +61 (08) 9244 4649 Email: info@freethebears.org.au

Tel: +44 (0) 7785 552856 Email: freethebearsuk@googlemail.com

Charity Number: A1004507U ABN: 23 763 253 031 This newsletter is printed on recycled paper chlorine free. Re-life 50%

Patrons: Dr Harry Cooper BVSc MRCVS C.M. and Maneka Gandhi.

Charity Number: 1135682 FREE THE BEARS SE ASIA REGIONAL OFFICE PO Box 723, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Founder & Chairperson: Mary Hutton CEO: Matt Hunt

Our thanks go out to everyone who has lent us their support over the past year - with the number of bears in our care continuing to grow and our field programmes expanding to ensure that wild bear populations are protected, we really do mean it when we say that we can only change the lives of bears thanks to our incredible supporters! You encourage us, you inspire us, and you drive us to want to achieve so much more every day for the bears.

Of course, the bears in our sanctuaries require care 365 days a year and so many of our team will be working over the festive season - sacrificing time with family to spend with our expanded fur-family! A huge thank you to each and every one of our staff - all of you play a vital role in making Free the Bears what it is today, and we’re incredibly blessed to have so many talented and devoted people working so hard for the bears. Our Board of Directors in Australia and Board of Trustees in the UK provide constant support and guidance, all on a voluntary basis and often juggled amongst busy careers and lives. We don’t say thank you enough, but we truly appreciate everything that you do to help grow our organisation into something that we can all be very proud of.

Finally - a Christmas message for the bears.

For those of you already with us, we’re sorry that we weren’t able to protect you before you fell victim to the illegal wildlife trade but we promise to make sure that you are given the very best of care for as long as you need it. And for those bears still suffering out there and in need of our help, we promise to redouble our efforts in 2017 to make sure that you have reason to hope. The challenges that lie ahead are many, but none of them are insurmountable and we know that with good people behind us we CAN change the world!

Photographic credits for this newsletter are due to Alex Cearns, Peter Yuen, Wildlife SOS and FTB staff and volunteers.

Cover Photo: Currently many of the bears at Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam are restricted to their dens for up to 20 hours per day. Once the new sanctuary is completed the bears will finally be able to enjoy the new natural forest enclosures 24/7. Image by Alex Cearns of Houndstooth Studio PLEASE HELP US SAVE ON POSTAGE AND PAPER by receiving the FTB newsletter and receipts via your email. If your current email has changed or if you have a new email address, please send it our way.

You’ll be helping us and the environment at the same time. Email your details to accounts@freethebears.org.au.