EXCITING NEWS August 2025 - Read on!

Introducing the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary

The Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is based in Kenya and it takes in orphaned and abandoned elephant calves. The aim is to release them back into the wild herts adjoining Retiti.

The keepers caring for the elephants have all been trained in the care, rehabilitation and release of elephant calves.  They are recruited from the Namunyak Conservancy and they all have a deep respect for elephants.  You can meet some of the keepers here.

You can meet some of the elephants here – they are orphaned or abandoned because of drought, man-made wells, human-wildlife conflict and natural mortality.  It was the local community who wanted the Sanctuary.

There's very exciting news from the Sanctuary this August!  They have an appeal!

The Reteti Elephant Sanctuary has an appeal to raise $250,000 to buy a mobile veterinary clinic!  The clinic will reach the most remote, rugged parts of Northern Kenya and this should allow the Reteti tea to delivery essential care to injured and traumatised animals.  It could even prevent calves being made orphans!

Not only that, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has pledged to match every donation up to US$ 125,000 - and that means that donations will go twice as far!   A great way to make your donation go twice the distance!

Why this appeal matters:

There are a lot of challenges in the wild areas of Northern Kenya - climate change, droughts, the conflict with people.  Many animals are badly injured and orphaned every year as a result of these challenges.  And because of the terrain, help could be hours and even days away - there are very difficult conditions to cross and it can be impossible for the team to get to animals in time to save them. 

Reteti has launched a dedicateed Rapid-Response Mobile Veterinarian Unit - and the aim is to deliver lifesaving care in the huge landscape around the clock!  

Drive a chance and give these animals a fighting chance of survival!

You can also help by

• Adopting an elephant – adoptions are for a year.
• Gifting them a bottle of milk  - the video shows how much they adore it! Each elephant drinks about 8 bottles of milk a day, generally goats milk.  The elephants have a feed about every 3 hours and between feeds, the keepers take them on bush walks so that they can learn to browse, navigate and get used to the landscape.
• Donate
• Visiting the Sanctuary!
• As always, spreading the word about it.

Visit the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary's website here

November 2024:  There’s amazing news from Peru!

Spectacled Bear Conservation has been successful in fitting the first GPS collars on spectacled bears in the Laquipampa Wildlife Refuge in Northern Peru.  It’s a protected area.  The team deployed five collars in a few days – they have years of data collection there and have an amazing expertise in bear monitoring.

This success has been achieved in collaboration with SERNANP, Peru’s Protected Area Authority.

It’s a huge leap forward; SBC Peru say the team has spent over 15 years researching and determined that the Laquipampa Wildlife Refuge and the landscape around it covering 75,000 acres represent the most crucial remaining habitat for spectacled bears in this ecosystem. 

The satellite GPS collars track real-time bear movements which gives incredible insights into the daily lives of the bears both in and out of the protected areas.  They will be hugely helpful in increasing understanding of bear health, the bears’ use of habitat and the threats facing them.

This information will empower SERNANP to strengthen park management; whilst SBC will be able to develop science-based conservation actions for bears beyond the park boundaries.

Back in May, SBC launched a collaring programme in collaboration with SERNANP in the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary.  Four collared bears have been giving lots of very useful insights into their daily lives which have enhanced the understanding of their habits, behaviour and needs.

And more news...

Back in August 2024, SBC  emailed with their annual report.  They are the Spectacled Bears Conservation and they work in Peru towards the conservation of the spectacled bear, otherwise known as the Andean bear.

The bears suffer from habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and conflict between people and wildlife.  There is a lack of knowedge about them, which impinges on the ability to plan for their conservation, and make decsisions.  And they're the only bear species in South America.  It's estimated there are about 2,500 mature individuals now.  

SBC's mission is to:

To conserve and protect spectacled bears and their habitat in Peru through scientific research, education and collaboration with local communities, government and land owners.

You can read the Annual Report here

 
We need to look after these bears and all wildlife
These bears are vulnerable and they need our care.
Please support SBC Peru 

More about Spectacled Bear Conservation

Spectacled Bear Conservation was registered as a non-profit organisation in Peru back in 2009.  The aim was to continue research into spectacled bears and to partner with local communities to protect spectacled bear habitat. 

Bears are fascinated by the camera traps,
and SBC Peru have had to work to make sure they can 
protect these vital cameras against the most persistent paws!

Take a look at this bear here!

Their Annual Report gives you an idea of the work they are doing.  For instance, their camera trap study in the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary gave unprecedented data to help strengthen conservationa ction for spectacled bears and the other wildlife in the area.  Data caught on camera really gives wildlife conservation organisations evidence of the presence of wildlife and shows those in government that there is truly a need to protect these areas.

This bear has climbed to the top most branches of a tree!

Spectacled bears are keystone species:  they are essential to keep the ecosystem healthy.  And they are an umbrella species, too - they have large habitat ranges.   Protect spectacled bears, and you're also protecting other species such as the mountain tapir, the puma, ocelot and jaguarundi.

Take a look at this beautiful bear relaxing...

You can find out all about spectacled bears from the charity's website and donate to the cause of spectacled bears and the work the charity does, too!   Don't forget to sign up for their newsletter - it's free to do!

There are plenty of things you can do to support SBC Peru, such as:

• Donate (you do this through the Wildlife Conservation Network)
• Shop online
• Volunteer
• Spread the word
• Follow them on social media
  
  You Tube
  
  Facebook
  
  Instagram

Visit Spectacled Bear Conservation here

 In the UK, Knowsley Safari Park give resource support to Spectacled Bear Conservation - their staff contribute to technical projects, education programmes and communication campaigns, for instance.  They have a couple of Andean Bears, and they have keeper talks so that people can find out more about these gorgeous bears!  

I love the charity Free the Bears.  They are an Australian wildlife conservation and animal welfare organization and they work with local communities and governments in Asia to help sun bears, moon bears (Asiatic black bears) and sloth bears.  

So they need protecting.

As governments work to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, so Free the Bears has more to do, rescuing bears who have been held captive for bear bile farming, educating the public, looking after the bears they have rescued – so far 950 in all.  As more bear bile farms close and Free the Bears rescue those bears, so they need to build more enclosures.   These bears have been captive, in some cases for a very long time.  They cannot go into the wild upon release – they need gentle, loving and knowledgeable expert care.

These bears have bear necessities

• They need a healthy diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, with dog biscuits for protein and also pulses and grains
• They are clever so they need a variety of enrichment activities to stimulate their minds
• They love to have their own space so they have climbing platforms and hammocks – most bears don’t see other bears in the forest;  they are very private
• Many of the bears need veterinary care, some for a while.  Remember that many have been used for bear bile farming – a needle has been injected into their gallbladders to access their bile whilst the bears have been drugged
• Their enclosures have an environment that’s as near as possible to the natural habitat the bears would normally enjoy – these enclosures need maintaining.

 Of course, this all costs. Donations help Free the Bears do these things:

• Give immediate medical attention and care to the orphaned cubs
• Procure essential supplies – food, medication, specialised equipment
• Support on-going conservation efforts to protect both bears and their habitats in the years ahead.
  
  

Free the Bears need help! 

There are a number of ways you can help care for the bears in the care of Free the Bears:  

• Be a bear carer – there are different levels available from £5.00 a month. 
• Sponsor a bear (£240 for a year)
• Send a gift to the bears such as a jar of honey, a hammock, a climbing frame, a cub care kit donation, a bathing pool donation, a treat ball donation
• Send a gift for a bear lover to your human!
• Simply donate!
  
  

Night in a Cage 2025 - 10th May

You can also support their Night in a Cage when teams around the world will be raising funds to care for these bears.  The idea is that you spend a night in a cage and get sponsorship - or  you can donate to a team or individual who is choosing to spend a night in a cage, thus showing what the bears have had to endure until their rescue.   Please support this event here.

More about sun bears

Sun bears are the smallest of all bears, but they have a tongue which is 30cm long (that’s a foot!), huge paws and a sun-shaped patch on their chest which gives them their name. 

Sun bears are excellent climbers – they live in tropical forests in South East Asia.  There they spend more time than other bears in trees, and make nests there.  They are crucial for seed dispersal and  pest control. The problem sun bears have is that they have lost 60% of their land due to habitat destruction and over-exploitation.  Not only that, they are hunted for their paws and their gallbladders – these are sold on the black market. 

Send rescued bears a pot of honey for £11.00

The bears need us all to act.  They have been rescued and they need our help to ensure they get all the wonderful loving care and attention they need for the rest of their lives.

Visit Free the Bears' website here.

The Wildlife Trust for  Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire wanted to bring beavers back to Northamptonshire.   It had been over 400 years since beavers – a keystone species - were last seen there, and the Trust has been given permission to release a family group at the Delta Pit wetland, at the Nene Wetlands nature reserve.  And here's an update here!  

You could also look at the Trust's Wilder Futures Fund - they are aiming to raise £1.5 million (£500 a year over a three year period) to help nature recover across the three countries.   Please find out more here.

Here's the background with the original blog...

The Beaver Trust visited the site and did a full feasibility study and identified the site as a suitable feeding site – it’s also quite away from the public.  Furthermore, the site is a difficult one to manage, with breeding birds in summer and overwintering birds in winter, giving the Trust very limited time to do any work.  so the beavers will be able to manage the habitat work for the Trust.

The beavers will be in a safe, enclosed area surrounding a lake.  They are excellent eco-engineers, and have an excellent ability to create habitats that will benefit a whole range of animals.  

The beavers will be busy restoring the wetland habitat – beavering away – and the humans have to do some work of their own beforehand, managing trees and constructing a fence.  This fence is constructed and installed to an exact specification from Natural England – it follows a full site survey. That survey involves considering the risks, so that the Trust can  make sure the beavers are safe and don’t escape.  The stock gates are designed to an approved beaver-proof spec.

The beavers’ work should benefit wetland birds, creating more roosting and feeding habitat, and invertebrates and bats should benefit from it as well.  The beavers will be doing what humans would be doing, but they will be doing it better (and the Trust themselves said that!)

One of the exciting things will be the monitoring of the site, to see how the beavers are doing and how their introduction and work is benefiting other species.

The public visiting the shopping centre next to the reserve will also benefit as they should be able to see the beavers when they visit!

You can still donate to their Beaver Appeal here.

Anyway, take a look at the project here, and you can find out more about the Wildlife Trust BCN here.