Sun Bears and Asiatic Black Bears are so secretive it is difficult to know how many roam South-East Asia’s forests. What is known is that both the bears and their habitat need protecting.
Data on the current distribution of bears is limited as bear populations have only been monitored in a few places in South-East Asia. To date, Wildlife Conservation Action has contributed more than $91,000 to help organisations like Free The Bears Fund to protect wild bear populations.
The funds have been used for:
- a Bear Sign Survey Training Course in Cambodia which brought together park rangers to learn surveying techniques
- surveys in the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area in Laos which found that Sun Bears and Asiatic Black Bears were active in all forested areas of the national park
- population surveys in Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam.
The data collected is being used as a baseline for monitoring the bear populations over time to determine if numbers are going up or down.
Wildlife Conservation Action has also contributed to a community ranger and information officer program in Cambodia’s Southern Cardamom Mountains. The program aims to remove illegal snares, prevent hunting whilst also improving local livelihoods, and promote wildlife conservation within the region.
Please donate to Wildlife Conservation Action to support this important work.
* figures are as at January 2012
