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Night in a Cage
Free the Bears
Night in a Cage
Story
Many of us are feeling a little caged these days. Spare a thought for the rescued sun bears and moon bears cared for at Free the Bears sanctuaries, most of which spent years (and sometimes decades) standing on metal bars, locked in a tiny cage. Many were starved and mutilated for bile extraction.
Free the Bears currently cares for hundreds of rescued bears. COVID-19 is having a huge negative impact. All fundraising events and visitor experiences, major sources of funding, are cancelled, resulting in a funding shortfall. But the BEARS NEED TO EAT!
How long do you think you would you last in a cage? To raise funds at this crucial time, a group of bear lovers have decided to spend A NIGHT IN A CAGE on May 9th to raise donations.
It costs $35,400 to feed our 236 bears in care across all Free the Bears sanctuaries for one month. With no other income at the sanctuaries, we aim to fundraise $70,800 which will allow us to feed our bears for the whole of May and June. WE CAN DO THIS for the bears!
STEP 1: REGISTER your personal fundraising page on our NIGHT IN A CAGE team event. Click JOIN TEAM, THEN REGISTER/CREATE A PAGE and on the next screen make sure to click on the REGISTER button, NOT LOGIN. You'll be asked to upload a photo of yourself (you can come back to this), write a short introduction to describe why you are joining (for example "On May 9 I'm spending a night in a cage to raise funds for Free the Bears to feed and care for hundreds of rescued bears") & then share your page (you can skip and come back to this step). You can later edit your page (e.g. add a photo, change your donation target) at any time by using the MYFUNDRAISING then MANAGE PAGE options from the main menu.
Once you have your page, don't forget to share the URL/link throughout your social network (you can find it on the MANAGE PAGE section). Share via Facebook or Instagram, or you can even email or text the link to family and friends. Please sign up today (to give you time to raise funds) and then SHARE your page SEVERAL TIMES leading up to May 9 to remind everyone that you'll be spending a NIGHT IN A CAGE.
STEP 2: Prepare your 'cage' for the May 9 event (use your imagination - it need not be an actual cage, even if it's a cardboard box, a blanket fort in the living room or a tent in the backyard with the kids, we appreciate the effort).
You'll be amazed how many of your friends & family will donate to help our rescued bears (& see you in a cage). Are you prepared to sacrifice a night (or part of a night) of simple comforts to raise awareness, start a conversation & help bears in need? We hope so - it might sound a little crazy, but it's one night, not a lifetime like many bears suffer.Free the Bears was started by just one person, Perth grandmother Mary Hutton. Having gone on to rescue over 950 bears, Mary shows us that we all have the power to make a difference.
How long will you last in a cage? Find out by joining us to raise much-needed funds for the bears. It will be a fun event (perhaps not as much fun when locked in a cage on May 9th) where we can all make a difference from our very own living room. We're sure you'll find there are many kind and caring bear lovers willing to sponsor your NIGHT IN A CAGE.
Thank you.
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Free The Bears Ltd
Free the Bears mission is to protect, preserve and enrich the lives of bears throughout the world. Over the past 25 years we've helped rescue over 950 bears. We currently operate rescued bear sanctuaries in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos and care for over 230 rescued bears. We've helped bring the centuries old Indian 'dancing' bear tradition to an end, removing over 500 bears from the streets of India and providing alternative livelihoods to the nomadic Kalandar gypsy families who had forced the bears to beg (the first Kalander student recently graduated university).
We work closely with our government partners to strengthen wildlife laws and enforcement and run education programmes which have helped hundreds of thousands of people learn of the importance of wildlife conservation. Our research and cub care programmes are world leaders, providing invaluable learnings which will help conserve the vulnerable bear species we work with - sun bears (the world's smallest and least understood bear species), moon bears (or Asiatic black bears) and Indian sloth bears.
Free the Bears began after our founder, Perth grandmother Mary Hutton, learnt of the horrific practice of bile extraction of caged moon bears in Asia. Since this time we've rescued many bears from the bear bile trade and prevented the industry getting a foothold in Cambodia. In the coming years we hope to see an end to bear bile extraction and farming in Vietnam and Laos, where just under 1,000 bears are still kept in terrible circumstances.
Despite our achievements, we have a long way to go to ensure the bears and other wildlife of SE Asia are protected and preserved. With limited suitable habitat available, our commitment to the rescued bears at our sanctuaries is lifelong, which can last up to 40 years. This requires a huge financial commitment - any help you can give is greatly appreciated. Please donate or register as a Bear Carer, and please come to visit our sanctuaries and see what we've been able to achieve. Thank you.
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