These past 12 months have flown by and have seen so many highlights. But, for many of us, this year will be remembered as the year that celebrated growth.

Besides the growth of all projects Animals Asia – we celebrate the growth of one little bear's fur. Because this is much, much more than a story of a bear who was follicly-challenged, but of a bear who refused to be defined by a practice that nearly ended her life.

Dawn arrived at our sanctuary in early 2023 from a bear bile farm in Vietnam, suffering from what our bear and vet team very quickly identified as "learned helplessness". After 20 years in a cage and painfully extracted of her bile, no matter the careful management, the relief from pain, the kindness she received – her world was absorbed in fearing a horrible trauma she thought she would suffer from soon. A trauma she never forgot from her days on the farm.

Such were those days (over 7,300) – of physical and psychological trauma, of deprivation, of multiple issues that wounded her body and scarred her mind, she would look out miserably at her new, safe home with hollow and hopeless eyes. Never daring to dream that everything bad she had suffered was all behind her now. She was also almost hairless, with a naked chest where the lemony crescent of fur that should have proudly announced her identity as a moon bear, was missing.

Over the weeks and months Dawn slowly allowed herself to trust, and to believe in everyone's promise that we would help her to "be bear". Our remarkable sanctuary team worked night and day, healing her pain, building her trust, offering her hope and offering her toys for the first time in her life, and carefully integrating her with friends to help her recognise she was part of a truly splendid species. A vital individual, rather than a thing only to be valued for the existence of her bile.

Dawn continued to grow… in confidence, in stature, in embracing her own species. Cautiously playing with new friends Midnight and Twilight and now increasingly reassured that eyes opening from sleep would only see a day before her of choices and fun. Every time I visited, I not only looked into those trusting brown eyes, but eagerly at her little naked chest, hoping that her crescent moon would grow and glisten once more.

 
And, over time, it did. Perhaps not the blaze of yellow that we'd all hoped for but, to date, 12 beautiful lemon blonde hairs, every one celebrating her journey to freedom, and celebrating too that our promise has been kept. Dawn is proudly a moon bear today.

Our programs continue to flourish

Dawn's story is hers and just one of our rescues and stories saluting growth this year because of all YOU have done to keep our promises alive for so many animals in 2024.

Elephants in Vietnam, previously ridden in cruel tourism experiences, now exploring the forest of Yok Don National Park without chains. Contented and foraging freely, walking and growing with friends, and admired from a respectful distance by happy tourists with cameras.
 Dogs and cats in China now protected by hundreds of officials and local groups across the country – passionate people we help to fund and support, who grow with progress because of your kindness to them all.

Children growing up with values of animal sentience – recognising that, like us, animals suffer physical and emotional pain. Understanding that our actions of being kind not only help all creatures, but are a vital component of a healthy society, helping to heal our earth.

Joining the authorities in Sichuan province, protecting wild bears and communities in our human wildlife conflict mitigation projects. Humanely deterring bears from entering human habitats and keeping both people and animals safe. Children in these communities now understanding that this keystone species no longer identifies with the big bad bears of their childhood, but learning to develop a wonder of living in harmony with wildlife who enrich and protect their planet instead.

And always ensuring our promise with the Vietnam authorities and traditional medicine community to end bear bile farming and the demand for bear bile. These next years are vital in this mission as our second sanctuary in central Vietnam rises up and grows to rescue the last caged bear.

With gratitude for our teams, our village of dedicated people in our sanctuaries and offices and homes who inspire the growth of conservation and welfare, of education and love of nature, of projects to ensure that bear farming will end and there will be no bear left behind.

Thank you, dear supporter, dear friend for this growth. Thank you for a peaceful holiday season that our rescued animals can enjoy.

Thank you for the explosion of fun our bears are loving at this time of year

 And thank you most of all, at this magical time of year, from a little bear who turned learned helplessness into learned happiness...

...and whose secret wish for the new year just might, one day, come true. 

Click here for more of our sanctuary celebrations.