A new life for Fairy and Armel

With your help, we work together with our local partner in Pakistan, the Bioresource Research Centre (BRC), to rescue bears by offering alternative livelihoods for bear owners and providing a new home for rescued bears. We also work to reduce the demand for bear baiting through education, strengthen legislation and prevent  bear baiting events.

Two of these long-suffering bears have been surrendered to the BRC by their former owners in Punjab province in exchange for alternative cruelty-free livelihoods. Read all about Fairy and Armel below.

Fairy

Fairy, an Asiatic black female, arrived from the Sargodha area of the Punjab Province and is the youngest bear to be surrendered to the BRC.

Upon her arrival, she was immediately looked after by BRC staff as she didn’t look well at all, her fur coat was very discolored – a sign of ill-health for a bear. She was very weak at first and didn’t even have the strength to stand properly, which reflects all the years of harsh treatments she received when used for baiting.

After being examined and having her nose ring and rope removed, Fairy is now in the sanctuary’s quarantine area with Armel, another female bear also recently surrendered. She can now hear the sound of other bears playing, enjoy the sunshine and finally experience being safe from abuse. Fairy is shy and usually keeps to herself.

Years of captivity and suffering made her forget how to live life as a bear and explore new surroundings. It took a while for Armel to convince her to play and enjoy spending time in the pool. Sanctuary staff, with a bit of help from her mate Armel, worked hard to convince her to vary her diet and try something beyond the milk she was given in the past as her only source of sustenance. She now loves bread and fruits!

Armel

6-year old Armel, an Asiatic black female, also arrived, like Fairy, from the Sargodha area of the Punjab province. It took 5 hours for her to make the journey to the Balkasar sanctuary where she was taken into the care of BRC staff. 

They found her healthy and strong despite the years of abuse and mistreatment she endured. Armel was checked for wounds and marks on her muzzle and then had her nose ring and rope removed – the first step to freedom.

She was then placed in quarantine with Fairy, who is the less playful of the two. This caused a bit of gentle friction and a roar or two at first. It took some time for them to get along, but now they happily play together and even wrestle occasionally.

Armel spends a lot of time sitting by her window in the quarantine area getting some fresh air, observing the outside world and hearing the sounds of other bears. Her glossy fur shows how healthy and happy she is in her new home.  She can now enjoy simple things, such as her favorite foods; bread and chicken.

Both Armel and Fairy will be released into the sanctuary to meet the other bears and explore the wider enclosure as soon as their electric fence training is completed.

Dora's final years of peace

However, we also have some sad news to share. Dora, a female bear rescued in September 2012 passed away in May due to an infection. Dora loved to eat corn and didn't hesitate to tell caregivers when she was ready to eat. Unfortunately, Dora’s immune system was weakened after so many years of suffering, and despite every effort by our local partner the BRC, her body was unable to fight an infection in her final days. Because of your support, Dora had a peaceful life in the sanctuary. Thank you for making Dora's last years happy.

This needless suffering must end. With your help, we can stop bears being subjected to a lifetime of pain and distress.