Sanctuary Rescues 27 Endangered Bears From a Farm-and They're Total Sweethearts

Animal sanctuaries save more lives than we will ever know. While it's pretty common to hear about sanctuaries saving dogs, cats, and farm animals, there are sanctuaries all over the world that are constantly saving animals we'd never even think about.

For example, one animal sanctuary recently rescued 27 Asiatic Black Bears, also known as Moon Bears, from a crowded farm where they were being kept for slaughter. The endangered bears were crowded into cages, and when they were rescued, they were so grateful:

@freethebears.org

This rescue is incredibly complex, with 27 moon bears trapped in raised metal cages in an illegal bile farm in Laos. After years in these conditions, safely getting them out and into transport crates so we can bring them to the safety of Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary has required our team to come up with custom solutions as we go. Our construction crew and animal care teams have been building custom platforms and trolley systems so transport crates can safely reach the cage doors. With so many frightened bears in one room, stress levels can rise very quickly, which is also dangerous for the rescue team working around them. Thankfully our animal care team are experts at gentle crating, encouraging the bears with honey and treats. This is likely the first time in their lives they've ever tasted honey. They've been surviving on a terrible diet of cornmeal, fed only twice a day, and given water just once daily, despite being trapped in a hot shed. One of the most heartbreaking parts of this rescue is seeing how isolated these young bears have been forced to live. Moon bears are often born in sibling pairs, so there's a very real chance many of the bears in this room are brothers and sisters. But every bear has been separated by metal bars. At our sanctuaries, moon bears curl up together to sleep, wrestle, share hammocks, and spend hours playing with one another. Young bears are meant to learn through play and time with their mother. Instead, these young bears, estimated to be just 1–3 years old, were illegally and cruelly ripped from the wild. Their mothers were likely killed to get to them. Then they were brought here to be caged and eventually exploited for their bile, which would be sold on the black market for traditional medicine. What makes this even more confronting is that we found a large number of empty cages at the facility, suggesting they planned to expand to hold around 200 bears. The devastation that would have caused to wild bear populations is almost unimaginable. We are so grateful for the enduring support of the community. This is the largest ever bear farm rescue in Southeast Asia, and it's only because of your generosity that we could say yes to a rescue of such a large scale. If you would like to support the mission, you can donate at the link in our bio.

original sound - Free the Bears

Free The Bears works tirelessly to rescue Asiatic Black Bears from these farms: since they were founded in 1995, Free The Bears has rescued over 1,000 Moon Bears and expanded to have sanctuaries 5 across Southeast Asia.

This rescue was one of the largest at one time in their history: they rescued 27 Moon Bears from a bile farm. Unfortunately, bear bile is in demand because of its medicinal properties. Bear bile has certain properties that appeal to holistic medicine:

• It has a high concentration of UDCA, a compound that helps treat liver disease.
• It's naturally anti-inflammatory.
• It can lower fevers.
• It helps with pain.

Bear bile has been used this way for thousands of years, but the Asiatic Black Bear species is endangered: not only are they farmed and poached for their bile, but the ones who remain in the wild are experiencing habitat loss.

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This operation was one of their trickiest: though these Moon Bears are total sweethearts, they're still 27 very stressed bears. The situation needed to be approached with extreme caution, but luckily, they're seasoned pros. Every single bear was saved, and now, they're having all of their firsts:

@freethebears.org

When you've spent your entire life in a cage, even the simplest things are new. The 27 moon bears we recently rescued from an illegal bile farm in Laos are currently in quarantine, and every day we're watching them experience little firsts. It's their first bath, first taste of honey, first time digging through leaves or investigating enrichment. Many are still learning how to eat foods hard vegetables, and despite now being on solid ground, they are eating balanced on their forearms rather than sitting on their bottom - a posture they would have adapted to be able to eat while balancing on metal bars. After years of being fed a poor diet of only cornmeal twice a day, something as simple as a sweet potato is unfamiliar. On the farm, they lived in cages inside a hot shed and were only given water once a day, so even unlimited access to drinking water is new! They're also getting used to having other bears nearby, and introductions to other bears have begun. It's exciting to watch, but it can also be a lot for them to take in. That's one of the reasons quarantine is so important. Alongside health checks and veterinary care, it gives these bears time to adjust to a world that is suddenly much bigger than the one they've known. The road ahead is still a long one. These bears have missed out on years of normal bear experiences, and recovery doesn't happen overnight. But every day we see a little more curiosity and after everything they've been through, those small moments feel pretty special.

Little Sparrow - Paul Alan Morris

Can we offer to rescue them as our pets? Because if so, I would like to bring one of them home. They look so huggable (and that's why I do not work with bears).

How You Can Help Save Moon Bears

Free The Bears takes donations to help keep their operation running. They're not the only organization helping this cause, but they're definitely one of the largest. They've saved over a thousand Moon Bears!

If you want to help save Asiatic Black Bears, there are a few ways to do it:

• Donate to Free the Bears to support bears in their care and future rescue missions.
• Report any buying/selling of bear bile you come across.
• Educate yourself on the biggest causes of habitat loss for the species.

Supporting an organization that's on the ground helping these bears is the best way to go. Hopefully, these 27 rescues all live long, happy lives!

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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 1:00 PM.