Following the successful construction of Bear House 6 in 2021, work is well underway on the development of a new enclosure at Free the Bears’ Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary in Laos, thanks to the ongoing support from AJN Steelstock.
Due for completion at the end of April, ‘Bear House 7’ – a safe and secure 6,000 square metre area set into a thickly forested hillside – will be home to around 12 rescued Moon and Sun Bears.
In addition to two separate and protected forest enclosures with caves, pools and climbing towers, which offer the bears a natural and safe environment to thrive, Bear House 7 will also feature a number of purpose-built dens, denning beds, platforms to relax on and automated water drinkers.
Matt Hunt, CEO of Free the Bears, comments, “We’re incredibly grateful for the ongoing support from AJN Steelstock. The funding of Bear House 6 in 2021 was an incredibly generous donation that enabled us to give rescued bears the quality of life they rightly deserve.
“To replicate that again with the development of Bear House 7 is simply amazing. We cannot thank AJN enough for its support and ongoing interest in our work. Having a new enclosure like Bear House 7 gives us the opportunity to rehabilitate more rescued bears and show our government partners that we have the resources and facilities to continue to tackle the illegal wildlife trade and help bring an end to bear bile farming in Laos.”
Free the Bears is a not-for-profit charity that helps rescue and rehabilitate Moon Bears and Sun Bears that have been illegally poached from the wild and held in captivity, or milked for their bile which is highly prized in traditional Asian medicine.
With wildlife sanctuaries in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, Free the Bears has rescued hundreds of bears from a life of misery and aims to raise awareness of the cruel conditions of bear bile farms and raise funds to aid their rescue and rehabilitation.
Thanks to the ongoing support of AJN Steelstock, the construction of Bear House 7 will enable the charity to help meet the demand for safe sanctuary for rescued bears in the region.
