This little guy is named Blue. He is one of the cutest bear cubs I think I have ever seen. Blue is the name he was lovingly given by his caregivers when he was found injured. Blue wasn’t injured in the wild due to something that happens in nature. His injury was caused by humans. Because of poachers, to be exact. Bear bile has been used in traditional Asian medicine for centuries. It is thought to have incredible anti-inflammatory properties. Extracting the bile from bears is a horrible and excruciatingly painful process for the animals. Bear bile farming is illegal in many Asian countries. Yet there are an estimated 12,000 Asiatic black bears in bile farms across Southeast Asia. Blue was found in a basket by a group of rescuers from the group Free The Bears. It was discovered that he had suffered some extreme spinal injuries, likely caused by a physical trauma from being captured by a poacher. The injuries were so bad, he could barely walk. Free The Bears rescued Blue, and Blue showed the world what an incredible will to survive he has in him. Be warned, the video below is a little bit of a tear tear-jerker.
Blue is a Sun Bear Cub. Just look at that cute face.
The video is a little hard to watch at first. It was such a struggle for him in the beginning! Just wait until you see what he does.
The reason Free The Bears was able to help Blue and other bears like him is because of donations made to them. Free The Bears was founded by Mary Hutton in 1995. They are a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting, preserving, and enriching the lives of bears. They did just that for Blue. They say that he is building up more and more strength every day. I for one, look forward to watching Blue’s progress as he grows. You can donate to their cause on their website at FreeTheBears.org.au.