Mary Hutton launches a petition in Perth
after seeing a television report about bears suffering on bile farms.

Inspired by growing community support, Mary formally establishes Free the Bears to rescue bears and challenge their exploitation across Asia.

In partnership with the Cambodian government, we established the first sun bear and moon bear sanctuary in the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre in Cambodia.

Three rescued sun bears were relocated from Cambodia to Taronga Park Zoo, Sydney, Australia and we provided funds for the completion of a WSPA sun bear sanctuary at Banglamung Rescue Centre, in Thailand.

Working alongside governments and
conservation partners, Free the Bears begins establishing more sanctuaries across Southeast Asia, including the Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre for moon bears in Luang Prabang, Laos.

A telephone call from India led to Free the Bears joining Wildlife SOS and International Animal Rescue in the seemingly impossible challenge of freeing India’s dancing bears.

Together we funded the Agra Bear Rescue Facility in India, and the first group of 25 bears were rescued on Christmas Eve of 2002.

Over the next 7 years Free the Bears helped provide seed money for more than 500 dancing bear families to set up new livelihoods. We also supported four sanctuaries across India, in Agra, Bangalore, Bhopal and West Bengal, playing a leading role in the ending of the centuries old tradition.

Free the bears provided funds to the Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand to build multiple new sanctuaries for sun bears and moon bears in Thailand, and to Gabriella Fredericksson for the establishment of the Sun Bear Education & Conservation Centre in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Cat Tien Bear Sanctuary opens as Vietnam's biggest semi-natural area for rescued bears in Vietnam, and ground is broken on the Mekong Delta Bear Sanctuary in Vietnam, increasing the capacity for housing bears rescued from the bile trade.

The first group for 9 bears would arrive at the Mekong Delta sanctuary in 2009.

Between 2002 and 2009 we provided seed money for more than 500 dancing bear families to set up new livelihoods.

In 2009, the last of India's dancing bears 'Raju' was surrendered and the centuries-old practice of dancing bears in India was ended.

The world first keyhole surgeries to remove damaged gallbladders from rescued bile farm bears took place at the Mekong Delta Bear Sanctuary.

Sanctuary programs expand across Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, providing safe homes for rescued bears and strengthening conservation partnerships.

• Nationwide mapping of wild bear populations begins in Laos, while support is given for PhD research into Sun bear populations in Sumatra
• 1st Scholarship given to a Lao MSc student to investigate human-bear conflict mitigation in Laos, and two snared bears are rescued and re-released, and another given to investigate the efficiency of forest patrols.
• "Paws for Thought" education campaign launched in Thailand to increase environmental awareness in communities surrounding Khao Yai National Park
• Cambodia facilities are expanded to 8 bear houses

The world's first neurosurgery on a bear takes place at Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre to relieve ChamPa of her hydrocephalic condition.

Kong the sun bear has his vision restored following groundbreaking ophthalmic surgery in Cambodia.

Blue the sun bear cub also arrives at our Cambodian Bear Sanctuary unable to walk due to spinal injuries. His story subsequently goes viral and is seen by almost 1 million people! Blue was successfully rehabilitated and is now thriving at the sanctuary. You can read more about Blue here.

In 2017 we opened the multi-species Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary, preparing to rescue more bears as we expand into Laos, and many other species that are found caught up in the illegal wildlife trade.

This includes red panda, macaques, civets, reptiles, birds, and more.

The new Vietnam sanctuary at Cat Tien National Park also opened, welcoming it's first group of rescued bears.

Wildlife hospitals open in Laos and Vietnam, expanding veterinary care for rescued bears and other trafficked wildlife.

New bear houses open across three sanctuaries, including specialised facilities for elderly and disabled bears and space for rapidly growing rescued cubs.

More than 60 bears are rescued across the four years, while key milestones are reached in Vietnam with the last caged bears rescued from several provinces, moving the country closer to ending bear bile farming.

The BBC series Bears About the House brings the story of Free the Bears to millions worldwide, and founder Dr Mary Hutton receives the Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to conservation.

A police raid found 17 orphaned moon bear cubs, all 2-3 months old and less than 4kg, in a house in the Laos capital, Vientiane.

Sadly one cub had died and another passed away later, however, 15 survived and are still thriving at the Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary in Laos.

This was our largest year ever of bear rescues with 30 bears rescued in Laos and another 4 in Cambodia.

Free the Bears now rescues more threatened bears each year than any other organisation and operates the largest moon and sun bear sanctuary network in Southeast Asia.

Free the Bears enters its fourth decade. Pre-release facilities are completed to support the future return of rescued bears to the wild, the last bile farm bear in Long An Province is rescued after 22 years in captivity, new bear houses open in Laos and Cambodia, wildlife training programs empower government officers and veterinary students, and the first ever bile farm closure in Laos sees three moon bears finally freed.