Free the Bears Fund
{{Short description|Australian Wildlife Charity}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2014}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Tone|date=September 2015}}
{{Primary sources|date=October 2010}}}}
The Free the Bears Fund (FBF) is an Australian charitable wildlife-protection organisation, started by Mary Hutton.
The FBF plans to halt the spread of bear bile farming and protect wild bears from the threat of the illegal wildlife trade. With bears in each country facing a unique set of issues that threaten their future, Free the Bears employs a range of strategies including environmental education, conservation research, and strengthened law enforcement regarding illegal farming.
History and achievements
The FBF was formed in 1993,{{Cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2104040/free-bears-strengthens-fight-against-bile-trade-new-laos-sanctuary-rescued|title=Fight to end bear farming boosted by Lao sanctuary for rescued bears|date=2017-07-29|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|access-date=2019-07-08}} in response to Australian Television program A Current Affair airing a segment containing footage of moon bears being regularly milked for their bile.
On 23 March 1995, Free the Bears Fund was registered as a not-for-profit charitable organization[http://www.freethebears.org.au/web/About-Us About Us] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528181233/http://freethebears.org.au/web/About-Us |date=28 May 2010 }}. Free The Bears Fund, Inc. in Perth, Australia.{{Cite web|title=Free the Bears Ltd {{!}} Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission|url=https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/0c35d73868a322d6c4402d211ad9202a|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312135949/https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/0c35d73868a322d6c4402d211ad9202a|archive-date=2021-03-12|access-date=2021-03-24|website=Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission website}}
The organization fought for several of the Sun bears to be brought to Australia to start a regional breeding program as FBF began construction of the Cambodian Bear Sanctuary at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre.Christian Science Monitor [http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/0419/Mary-Hutton-frees-Asia-s-endangered-bears-from-lives-of-torment Mary Hutton frees Asia's endangered bears from lives of torment] This is now the world's largest sanctuary for Sun bears, educating hundreds of thousands of Cambodians about the threats facing their wild bear populations each year.
Further requests for help arrived, and Free the Bears was soon involved in projects throughout Southeast Asia and further afield. Free the Bears joined Wildlife SOS and International Animal Rescue in an attempt to rescue India's "dancing" bears. The first group of 25 rescued bears entered the Agra Bear Rescue Facility on Christmas Eve, 2002. Over the next seven years, Free the Bears provided seed money for more than 500 families to abandon the practice of "dancing" bears and adopt new sustainable livelihoods. Less than seven years after the first "dancing" bears were rescued, the last of India's "dancing" bears were handed over to the sanctuary.BBC News 19 December 2009 [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8421867.stm Last Indian dancing bear set free]
The Free the Bears Fund supports animal welfare projects in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, working with rescued and confiscated Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus), sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), and sloth bear (Melursus ursinus). A sister charity, Free the Bears UK was established in the United Kingdom in 2010.{{Cite web|title=FREE THE BEARS UK – 1135682|url=https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5006216/governance|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324025023/https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5006216/governance|archive-date=2021-03-24|access-date=2021-03-24|website=Charity Commission for England and Wales website}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.freethebears.org.au/}}
{{Animal rights}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Free The Bears Fund}}
Category:Animal charities based in Australia
Category:Animal welfare and rights in India
Category:Non-profit organisations based in Western Australia