Bravo for bears
23 March 2022
BRAVO FOR BEARS
Here is a bear-rilliant way to celebrate World Bear Day with Born Free!
Today, we are all about bears as we applaud these intelligent, opportunistic mammals – found across Europe, Asia, North America and South America. The Ursidae family has eight species varying in size from the tree-climbing 25kg sun bear to the powerful 650kg polar bear. With your support, Born Free is working to stop their exploitation, end sport hunting and circus-style shows, transform lives and ensure a safe future for bears.
Mighty Kyriakos is Born Free’s adopted European brown bear, who towers over the other rescued bears at Arcturos sanctuary in northern Greece. Just a 40cm cub when his mother was killed in 2004, today he and his twin brother Manolis are 17 and relish their enriched lives in spacious beechwood enclosures.
Meanwhile, at Animals Asia’s sanctuary in Vietnam – which Born Free helped build in 2006 – 10-year-old Parly, our amicable adopted moon bear, is thriving in his grassy enclosure. Thankfully he was confiscated from an illegal wildlife trader, no doubt having been wild-caught to be sold to a cruel farm – bear bile is used in traditional medicine in the Far East. Like Kyriakos, after all he has suffered, he will always rely on our care.
The two bears live poles apart, with such distinct stories, but they have one thing in common, you! Your support ensures life is a teddy bears’ picnic for them both. The bears enjoy a smorgasbord of fruits, vegetables, honey, eggs, roots, shoots and berries, with plenty of space to run and climb, with trees to scratch, platforms to snooze on and dens to hide – Parly even has his own hammock while Kyriakos takes a dip in his personal pool. Not to mention an array of extra enrichment – loving prepared by expert carers.
Both bears could have faced a very different future. Kyriakos could have ended up in a zoo, living out his years in a small, barren cage – rocking or pacing due to boredom or frustration. Parly would likely have died in a bile farm, having endured years of pain and torment – confined to a metal crate. Thankfully, this horror couldn’t be further from the pair today, enjoying healthy, happy lives in Born Free-supported sanctuaries.
When you adopt, you’ll help born Free fund care – for life. And, help us rescue more animals in need. We can’t wait to welcome you on board.