Help Stop Bear Trafficking in Cambodia

We would like to extend a special thank you to all the amazing donors that helped fund our campaign to stop bear trafficking in Cambodia. Since reaching our goal, there have been several new developments that have made this project even more important. We would also like to share with you some recent successes that demonstrate that your gift is not only being put to good use, but is actually saving lives.

This year, the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team has already rescued 9 bears, 4 of which were rescued in just the last three months. In August, an Asiatic black bear cub was rescued from the apartment of a wealthy Chinese businessman. The team received information about the bear on our 24-hour hotline from a concerned Cambodian citizen that noticed the cub trying to escape. The WRRT moved in quickly to surround the offender’s home to ensure the offender didn’t escape while a search warrant was being obtained from the Phnom Penh Courthouse. When the team went in, they found the bear in poor condition and it was immediately taken to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center (PTWRC) where it is being cared for by Free the Bears. Later in the month, the WRRT received information about two sun bear cubs that were found abandoned by their mother after local hunters and their dogs had disturbed her. Volunteers from the Por Koa Conservation organization took the bears from the hunters and handed them over to the WRRT. The extremely young cubs were provided with continual care and food until they were delivered to PTWRC the next day. And in October, the WRRT rescued another sun bear cub believed to be only around 4 months old. The significant number of rescues is a testament to the effectiveness of the WRRT’s outreach efforts and informant network. Our anti-trafficking campaign utilizes billboards and public service announcements to effectively educate the public about the illegality of wildlife trafficking and the steps they can take to help end this brutal practice – like calling our Wildlife Rescue Hotline. Little can be accomplished without assistance from local communities, and it is vital for the WRRT to continue to increase awareness and expand its informant network.

Another major development was the release of a new report by TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network, which highlighted the urgency for immediate action to stop the international illegal bear trade. The report analyzed hundreds of seizures over a 12-year period amongst 17 Asian countries and revealed that the majority of seizures took place in Cambodia. With triple the seizure rates of other countries, Cambodia is leading the fight to end illegal bear trafficking. The report called out Wildlife Alliance’s Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team (WRRT) as the leading example in anti-wildlife trafficking law enforcement. As the report noted “this high level of sustained enforcement and efficacious seizure […] is most likely attributable to the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team, […] responsible for apprehending and reporting 93% of bear seizures within Cambodia… Furthermore, a number of significant busts that have been made by police and Forestry Administration officials were catalyzed by the WRRT.” The success of the WRRT and Wildlife Alliance is born out of a well-balanced strategy that combines government partnership with law enforcement, trainings for customs officials and provincial authorities, informant networks, cross-border and regional cooperation, and public awareness campaigns. Since 2001, the WRRT has rescued over 60,000 live animals and over 30 tons of wildlife products. Nick Marx, Director of Wildlife Programs at Wildlife Alliance stated, “The WRRT is essential if we are to put an end to wildlife trafficking in Cambodia. The system we have put in place has enabled many successes thus far but we are consistently evolving and adapting our methodology as the criminal networks become more sophisticated. It is clear that the demand for exotic wildlife products is not coming to an end. Therefore governments and other NGOs need to increase their efforts and implement immediate action to disrupt the supply chain.” You can read the full report by TRAFFIC here.

Thank you again for your kindness and generosity, your gift has been vital for helping us drive down bear trafficking in Cambodia and we hope you’ll continue to help us make a difference by supporting our latest campaign to Save the Most Trafficked Mammal in the World – the pangolin. The pangolin is a scaly mammal that eats ants and termites, hides in dense forest, and rolls into a tiny ball when scared. Hunted for their meat and scales, more than one million individuals are believed to have been trafficked in the past decade. Learn more about pangolins and how you can help the Southern Cardamom Forest Protection program tackle this escalating crisis here.

Links:

• CNN - Why Cambodia Leads the Way in Rescuing Captive Bears
• TRAFFIC - Brought to Bear: an Analysis of Seizures across Asia
• Help Save the Most Trafficked Mammal in the World