Sun bears and other Asian bear species are being brutally targeted by poachers in Cambodia for their body parts which are used in traditional medicine. Because of this active trade in bears and bear parts, their populations - especially in Southeast Asia - have been decimated. The Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team has rescued over 156 bears from this vicious trade, however, the international demand remains high and we need your help to ensure their long-term survival.
Demand for bear parts on the international black market is high and poachers and traffickers can fetch a high price for paws, bile, and gallbladders. Adult bears are poached for their paws - considered a delicacy in soup. Cubs are torn from their mothers and sold into the pet trade. When they get bigger they end up imprisoned in tiny cages or sold to bile farms in Vietnam. These farms keep the bears caged and alive, while their gall bladder and bile is harvested and sold as traditional medicine.
Wildlife Alliance has been working since 2001 to end the trade of wildlife in Cambodia and throughout Southeast Asia. Since then, over 156 bears have been rescued and these illegal activities have drastically declined in Cambodia. However, the international demand remains high and continued efforts are needed to ensure the long-term survival of bears in region. $2,500 will go towards the investigation of trade networks and the rescue and transportation of trafficked bears.
Once rescued, the bears are cared for by Free the Bears at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center. Through investigations, undercover operations and enforcement the WRRT has driven down wildlife trade. Listed by the IUCN as Vulnerable, bear populations are rapidly declining. The WRRT also provides education to hunters, middlemen and dealers on the current laws put in place to protect wildlife. Through rescue operations and education we hope to prevent the extinction of these incredible animals.
