Just as a cardboard box can inspire a child’s imagination – we’ve discovered that it’s often the simplest toys that keep our bears entertained the longest.

Beautiful boy Bradley at our Vietnam sanctuary, couldn’t be happier than when wrestling with a tyre. He can bite it, try to squeeze inside it, balance it on his feet and even wear it like a necklace.

But you can be sure it will never be too long till other bears start to notice what’s going on and try to enjoy a piece of the action.

Gorgeous moon bear Bradley has been with us since 2011 when he arrived as a tiny cub.

Without his mother’s guidance and with no safe areas for reintroduction to the wild, bears like Bradley and his sister Cintron can expect long lives in Animals Asia’s sanctuary. The real challenge is making sure that those lives are happy, offering plenty of opportunity to express natural behaviours such as foraging, nest building and of course – playing.

Annemarie Weegenaar said:

“Bradley, like his sister Cintron, is a very playful bear. Our team do a fantastic job of keeping bears like them entertained. Bear Manager Sarah Dempsey manages our enrichment programme, working together with the bear workers and the horticulture team. They are continually coming up with simple, affordable and safe objects for them to explore, play with and – more often than not – destroy.”

Happy #moonbearmonday everyone!

Bradley was named in honour of former Animals Asia board member Bradley Caine. Bradley’s wicked sense of humour would have loved these shots, and the entire staff who knew Bradley are pleased to have a way of remembering him after his long and courageous battle with cancer.

BACK