#GivingToysday: Bears are incredibly playful animals and when you give them toys, magic happens

22 November 2018

See how incredibly happy these rescued bears get when people around the world send them playful gifts to make their hearts soar.

Animals Asia’s work over the last 20 years has revealed the barbaric practice of bear bile farming to be one of the world’s most extreme examples of animal abuse.

Bears – including endangered species such as moon bears – are taken from the wild and caged in isolation for the rest of their lives.

They are kept like this in order for the bile in their gall bladders to extracted for use in traditional medicine.

Many extraction methods have been documented in Animals Asia’s 20 years of opposing the trade, and all are painful, invasive and inhumane.

Most bears on bile farms suffer from a range of disabilities and debilitating health problems such as missing limbs, blindness and cancerous tumours.

But for the bears rescued by Animals Asia and rushed to the NGO’s sanctuaries in China and Vietnam, recovery from this cruelty is possible.

With love, kindness, health care, a suitable diet and an environment designed entirely round their needs, bears can recover from horrific cruelty to once again lead happy lives.

Here are some of the ways their new lives are made absolutely wonderful. 

Bear Treat Ball (stuffed with snacks!)

Moon bears love to roll around in leaves, twirl sticks and cover themselves with hessian sacks.

But what they love most is balls. We’ve seen bears like Delaney take their favourite ball into the pool and play for hours. And when balls are filled with treats, then there is no limit to the fun a moon bear can have.

Blue Bucket Swing (for little sun bears)


For the mischievous gang of young sun bears at our Vietnam sanctuary, almost anything can be a toy, but blue bucket swings are their favourite. Not only are they are joy to play with alone, but they big enough for two which makes them the perfect spot for hide and seek or wrestling.

Salvaged Play Tyres


Tyres are made of natural rubber and they are almost indestructible. Of course, there is nothing a bear can’t break, but before their time is over, a reclaimed tyre can provide hours of fun for rescued bears. They can be hung up or placed on the ground, Food can be hidden inside or they can be swings or even nests to a bear with a little imagination.

Big Bear Swing


Just like Baloo in “The Jungle Book”, moon bears know how to swing! But all those big bear bottoms and naughty bears biting through the strings, mean they don’t last forever!

Climbing High Frames

After spending years in cupboard-sized cages, play towers with treats placed up high encourage our bile farm survivors to use their long-wasted muscles, stretch their little legs, enjoy the view and breathe in the fresh air of sanctuary.

 


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