Welcome  to  Globalteer’s  Bear  Sanctuary  Project    Globalteer’s  Cambodia  Bear  Sanctuary  Project  is  dedicated  to  the  rescue  and  rehabilitation  of  bears  in  

Cambodia  that  have  been  poached  for  bear  bile  farms,  traditional  medicines,  exploited  as  pets,  used  

for  profit  within  the  tourist  industry,  or  rescued  from  the  illegal  wildlife  trade.  

 

You  will  be  based  with  our  local  project  partner  Free  the  Bears  (www.freethebears.org)  –  a  locally  

based  NGO  that  has  been  working  for  over  20  years  to  protect,  preserve  and  enrich  the  lives  of  bears  

in  Cambodia.  

 

You  will  be  volunteering  at  Free  the  Bears’  bear  sanctuary  in  the  Phnom  Tamao  Wildlife  Rescue  Centre,  

Cambodia.  The  sanctuary  was  constructed  1997,  and  is  now  the  world’s  largest  sanctuary  for  sun  bears  

–  it  also  houses  many  other  types  of  bears  –  and  educates  hundreds  of  thousands  of  Cambodians  

about  the  threats  facing  their  wildlife  bear  populations  each  year.  

 

Not  only  will  you  assist  in  the  care  of  rescued  bears  whilst  at  the  sanctuary,  but  you  will  also  receive  a  

real  insight  into  the  overall  work  being  done  in  Cambodia  to  protect  the  bear  population.      

How  the  project  started  Australian  Mary  Hutton  started  Free  the  Bears  after  she  watched  a  documentary  in  1993  on  bears  kept  

in  small  cages  for  bile  farming.  The  fund  was  registered  as  a  not-­‐for-­‐profit  charity  on  23  March  1995.  

The  organisation  fought  for  several  the  Sun  bears  to  be  brought  to  Australia  to  start  a  regional  

breeding  programme  and,  recognising  that  there  were  more  bears  in  need  of  help  in  Cambodia,  began  

construction  of  the  Cambodian  Bear  Sanctuary  at  the  Phnom  Tamao  Wildlife  Rescue  Centre.  This  is  

now  the  world’s  largest  sanctuary  for  Sun  bears  and  educates  hundreds  of  thousands  of  Cambodians  

about  the  threats  facing  their  wild  bear  populations  each  year.  Greater  challenges  lay  ahead  for  the  Free  the  Bears  as  they  strive  to  bring  bear  bile  farming  to  an  end  

in  Vietnam  and  protect  Laos’  wild  bears  from  the  many  threats  that  surround  them.  With  each  country  

facing  a  unique  set  of  issues  to  overcome,  we  employ  a  range  of  strategies  including  environmental  

education,  conservation  research  and  strengthened  law  enforcement  to  ensure  that  we  achieve  our  

mission  to  protect,  preserve  and  enrich  the  lives  of  bears  throughout  the  world.    

 

 

 

Project  objectives  The  aim  of  Free  the  Bears  fund  is  to  protect,  preserve  and  enrich  the  lives  of  bears  throughout  the  

world.  They  seek  to  achieve  this  by:  

• Funding  and  facilitating  conservation  and  rehabilitation  projects.  

• Preserving  areas  of  natural  habitat  with  the  aim  of  conserving  bio-­‐diversity.  

• Encouraging  harmonious  and  respectful  animal-­‐human  relationships  by  facilitating  profitable  

and  sustainable  alternatives  to  the  illegal  wildlife  trade.  

• Empowering  indigenous  people  and  communities  through  training  initiatives,  which  enable  

indigenous  communities  to  support  themselves  in  a  sustainable  manner  through  responsible  

custodianship  of  the  bear  and  its  environment.  

• Providing  information,  fostering  awareness,  and  facilitating  education  with  regard  to  threats  

facing  the  global  bear  population.  

• Providing  international  support  and  sponsorship  for  individuals  involved  with  the  preservation  

and  conservation  of  bears.  

• Supporting  the  instigation  of  new,  the  review  of  existing,  and  the  enforcement  of  appropriate,  

wildlife  legislation  to  prevent  extortion  of  rare  and  endangered  species  as  a  result  of  the  illegal  

wildlife  trade.  

• Funding  and  creating  new  sanctuaries  as  required  and  continual  maintenance  of  existing  bear  

sanctuaries  and  the  physical  and  mental  wellbeing  of  their  occupants.  

 

Daily  activities  Volunteers  work  five  days  a  week.  Here  is  an  example  of  some  of  the  work  you  will  carry  out  with  the  

bears:  • Preparing  food  for  the  bears,  moving  them  inside  and  then  scattering  and  hiding  the  food  in  their  

enclosure  to  provide  an  environment  that  is  as  close  to  their  natural  habitat  as  possible  where  

they  would  need  to  forage  for  their  food.  

• Enrichment  programs,  which  include  improvements  to  the  existing  enclosures  to  keep  the  bears  

challenged  and  entertained,  creating  small  puzzles  and  challenges  for  the  bears  to  complete  to  

obtain  treats.  

• Assisting  the  keepers  in  their  daily  tasks.  

• Cleaning  the  enclosures.  

• Repair  and  maintenance  of  the  enclosures  and  indoor  holding  pens.  

• Maintenance  of  the  centre  and  surrounding  area.  

 

These  are  only  examples  of  what  your  daily  activities  may  be  as  this  is  a  dynamic  project  and  duties  will  

vary  depending  upon  the  needs  of  the  animals  and  the  sanctuary.    

 

 

Project  location  

The  centre  is  located  approximately  40km  (1  hour  by  car)  south  of  Cambodia’s  capital  city  Phnom  

Penh.  The  bear  project  is  located  within  the  Phnom  Tamao  Wildlife  Rescue  Centre,  which  houses  many  

of  Cambodia's  endangered  species  including  tigers,  Asian  elephants  and  gibbons.  

 

Volunteers  live  on  the  outskirts  of  a  rural  Cambodian  village,  roughly  10km  away  from  the  sanctuary.  

The  volunteer  house  has  twin  bedrooms  so  volunteers  may  be  sharing  a  room  with  another  volunteer  

of  the  same  gender.  

 

A  cleaner,  security  guard  and  cook  are  employed  to  look  after  the  house  and  prepare  dinner  but  

volunteers  should  be  prepared  to  help  with  domestic  duties.