Bears rescued from Laos farm step outdoors for the first time after rescue led by Singaporean
Twenty-seven moon bears rescued from an illegal bile farm in Laos have been relocated to a wildlife sanctuary. The operation, led by a Singaporean conservationist, allows the animals to experience natural environments for the first time.
Why it matters
This highlights ongoing international efforts to combat animal cruelty and the illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia.
SINGAPORE: On July 2, Jing Lee the moon bear took its first steps in the sunshine after a life confined in a cramped cage.
The bear is one of 27 removed from a bile farm in Laos by conservation charity Free the Bears. The effort was helmed by Singaporean Karthiriish Chandra.
Jing Lee, named after a law enforcement officer in Laos who helped make the operation a reality, was freed by the charity and the Laotian authorities in May from a foreign-owned, illegal bear bile farm, where the animals had spent years in metal cages.
Speaking to The Straits Times after the bears got their first taste of freedom at Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary, Karthiriish said: “Things that might seem simple or basic to us are completely new to them.
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