“Grizzly Bear in Alaska” by Princess-Lodges (Creative Commons Licence)
IDEAS
Only by changing human attitudes to bears and to the habitats in which they live can be begin to address the threats they face. Information is the key; below are ideas on some simple steps you can take to become an advocate for bears.
You don’t have to pay to be a Bear Conservation supporter. Simply follow us on Twitter or Facebook, or both! Click on these links:
- Don’t buy products that come from bears
- Campaign to end bear-baiting, dancing bears, bear farming and hunting of endangered populations
- Take steps to reduce your impact on the planet; we need to reverse climate change to protect bears
- Check out your local zoos and any circuses that come visiting; talk to managers and staff; try to find out if they have bears and if so see what you can find out about them and pass the information on to us. Anything you can find out, no matter how small, will be helpful. Photographs are particularly valuable.
- Find out all you can about bears – this website is a good place to start. Read books, watch TV programmes and DVDs, contact organisations who are working for bears. Then spread the word to friends, colleagues and family about the bears and the threats they face. Use social media to maximise the impact and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with news, events and campaigns.
- Go bear watching
- Take a look at our Resources page for more ideas and links to our information pages
- Donate to the Bear Conservation Fund
CAMPAIGNS & PROJECTS
Captive bears
Thousands of bears are kept in appalling, outdated zoos which are cruel prisons. They are also exploited in roadside shows, circuses, bile farms, dancing bear acts and bear-baiting dogfights.
Polar bears in zoos
We want to end the breeding of polar bears in captivity and to improve the lives and living conditions of the over 300 polar bear in zoos and aquariums around the world.
Poaching
Bears are poached for “sport”, for their pelts and body parts, or because they are seen as a nuisance. Live bears are poached for bear bile farming and for use in bear shows and or as pets.
Hunting
We monitor legal and illegal bear hunts throughout the world. You can access the data already gathered, learn how we use it and how you can become a volunteer to help us collect it.
Performing bears
Circuses and bear shows are cruel, and without exception the conditions the captive animals are held in are appalling. Help us to bring an end to the use of bears for so-called “entertainment”.
Donating
The Bear Conservation Fund (BCF) focuses on countries and bear populations where the conservation need is greatest and supports local communities, networking with scientists and managers.
We support a number of other trusted organisations’ campaigns for bears – click on the links below to find out more
Free the Bears has helped rescued over 950 bears from the world’s most vulnerable bear species (sun bears, moon bears and sloth bears) and we provide ongoing care to hundreds of rescued sun bears and moon bears at the sanctuaries we operate in three countries
Humane Society International works around the globe to promote the human-animal bond, rescue and protect dogs and cats, improve farm animal welfare, protect wildlife, promote animal-free testing and research, respond to natural disasters and confront cruelty to animals in all of its forms.
The International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) supports the scientific management of bears through research and distribution of information. The IBA sponsors international conferences on all aspects of bear biology, ecology and management.
Dancing bears, circus bears and other bears in private captivity suffer greatly. FOUR PAWS has four sanctuaries, in which several bears have found a home for life. They have founded and run sanctuaries in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany and Ukraine.
The Born Free Foundation is a dynamic international wildlife charity, which runs a number of campaigns relating to bears. Born Free takes action worldwide to save lives, stop suffering and protect species in the wild.
Animals Asia promotes compassion and respect for all animals and works to bring about long-term change. They work to end the barbaric bear bile trade.
Working cooperatively with landowners, local communities, and state and federal agencies to permanently protect crucial lands for the benefit of grizzly bears and other wide-ranging wildlife.
Working to protect sloth and moon bears in India from poaching, illegal capture and exploitation, Wildlife SOS India run five bear rescue centres and facilities.
Working around the world to protect animals and help people to see how important animals are to everyone. Campaign on a variety of issues relating to bears.
Page updated 20 February 2021