Asians bears are in trouble habitat loss
the pet trade a demand for their body parts
and the horrific practice of bear bile farming
for traditional Madsen
in part one of this insider on Asian bears we delve into the illegal pet
trade in Thailand and Malaysia
Asia is home to a number a bear species
there's China's famous pandas brown bears
the asiatic black bear or moon bear and the smallest bear species in the
world
the Sun Bear, Their natural habitat is the region's large forests
because of this it's difficult to gauge population figures
but its estimated that Moon and Sun Bear numbers have declined by at least 30%
in the last three decades one of the reasons is
that their often packaged and sold as pets mostly when they're adorable Cubs
this is a particular problem in Thailand
and Malaysia Edwin week founded the wildlife friends of Thailand center
about fifteen years ago but has dedicated his life to rescuing wild
animals
including bears
he's also a tireless campaigner for ending the illegal wildlife trade
he seen first hand what happens to bears
who are victims at the pet trade I've been trying to understand the
the last fifteen years why people keep bears as pets and I'm
I still don't get it if you would be a local in Thailand
and you want to have a bear as a pet you could just actually I'm
buy one and a bear would probably cost something like five six hundred dollars
they're cute when they're very small they're extremely nice they're really cuddly
but once they become about eight months a year old they get bigger
they get more aggressive, unpredictable and they destroy
everything they get the claws on. When people get tired of their pet bears
they often taken to temples like this one Edwin his team
have arrived to rescue a bear who's been living in this small enclosed space for
a number of years
we are now here in a temple in chomp on Providence out in Thailand and be
picking up to date is little bear
this bears been here for we thought seven years but actually they have just
told me
almost twenty years today that's gonna change we're gonna take the bear to WFFT
in Thailand wild animals such as this bear
end up in temples quite often the reason people take them in
little baby bear still given space monkeyz keep them as pets
and eventually they take these animals to temples but obviously temples another
quick to care for these animals especially when they get older
more aggressive becomes a hazard that there needs to go
but the bear is given a tranquilizer so the team can move it safely
once the sedative takes affect they can carry it to the vehicle
Bears who have been kept in captivity for this long
often have health and dental problems as they haven't been
eating their natural diet medical check complete
the bear is ready to go to his new home at the WFFT century
he's one of the lucky ones not all bear rescue stories have a happy ending
this is a Sun Bear found living in horrific conditions by the WFFT
it had been capped in a dark room at a temple
without sunlight and proper care the bear was in shocking condition
they named him Klein when the medical team desperately tried
everything they could do to save his life but the years have abuse proved too
much for this little creature
and in the end he didn't make it
while laws regarding the ownership a wild animals vary from country to country
it's clear that even when there are guidelines there is little
or no regulation and the practice continues
unabated keeping a Sun Bear is a pet
is also illegal in Malaysia but that doesn't stop it from happening there
either
one of the biggest Sun Bear conservation centers
is in Sabah Malaysia the Bornean sun bear conservation center
was started seven years ago by one of the world's leading Sun bear
experts doctor Siew Te Wong set in beautiful natural forest surroundings
it's a place of safety for rescued sun bears
when the Bears arrive here they have to be retaught to live
and forage in the wild again
it takes a long time to rehabilitate bears
but doctor Wong is determined to get as many as possible back into the wild
The pet trade isn't the only thing threatening the wild populations of sun and moon bears
In some countries their body parts are highly priced
But the biggest threat to Asian bears
is deforestation and habitat loss
with thousands of hectares of natural forest being cut down
this is a real concern that needs the world's attention
even if the pet
and body parts trades are stamped out and poaching stops
there's still need somewhere to live if there are no forests
there can be no bears
meanwhile back in Thailand the rescued moon bear has a new home at the WFFT
in an enclosure with other bears just like him it's a far cry from the tiny
space it spent the last twenty years of his life
and thanks to centres like the WFFT the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center
and others across Asia even though they may not be able to go back into the wild
again
the rescued bears can have a quality of life they didn't have before
in part two of our insider on Asian bears
we unveil the hideous practice of bear bile farming