You can do anything, big or small, from a sponsored walk to saving loose change and everything else in between (don’t forget to visit our ‘other ways you can help’ page for loads of other ideas for fundraising)!!  Just let us know what you’d like to do to help and we’ll add you to ‘Team 12.12.12′.    Thank you!  Bear hugs to you all on this extra special day.  Lesley xxx

Can you mark this by joining in our efforts to raise £12,000 by 12.12.12 and help many more bears?

Visit the dedicated section on our website giving details of our 12.12.12 Challenge for the Bears – but please remember, you don’t have to do the big challenges – you can do anything from pledging to save loose change or simply make a donation, to holding your own little fundraiser or sponsored event.  Please don’t be put off if you feel like you have little time or money as there is something for everyone.  Also have a look at our ‘Other ways you can help’ section for more ideas.  Really…anything you can do to help us reach our target will be greatly appreciated.

Just get in touch and let us know what you’d like to do and we’ll add your name to ‘Team 12.12.12’.!  You can email us at info@wintonbearfoundation.org.

Thank you for helping the work of the Winton Foundation for the Welfare of Bears.

Bear hugs to you all on Valentines Day!

Lesley

Following on from the previous post, all details of how you can join in our 12.12.12 Challenge for the Bears and help us raise £12,000 by 12.12.12.  For all info on how you can help, see our 12.12.12 page.

If you are short of time or funds – there are still ways you can help throughout the year.  I do hope you’ll be able to take part in any way – big or small.

To join in, just let us know what you’d like to do to take part and help us reach our target of £12,000.  Just think how many bears we could help with that!

Thank you everyone, for your continued support!

Bear hugs

Lesley

I would like to briefly let you all know about a very exciting venture that the Winton Bear Foundation is embarking on to raise £12,000 by 12.12.12 keeping our theme of special events on 10.10.10, 11.11.11 and 12.12.12.

This is something that everyone can take part in, in a big or small way – anything you can do to help us reach our target would be fantastic.

We will be posting further details on the website in the next few days, but if you can’t wait, please visit our Facebook page for all the details.

Sign up for the 12.12.12. challenge and help us help as many bears as possible in 2012.

Thank you for your support!

Lesley

Lesley

Our first birthday party on October 15^th will now become a double celebration – marking our one year anniversary and the granting of our charitable status.  This now opens up a multitude of new avenues and opportunities for us, so here’s to us going from strength to strength for our beautiful bears.

Thank you, everyone, for your continued support.

Lesley Winton

However, I must take a moment to mention a wonderful new and beautifully illustrated book, written by Victor Watkins, called ‘Bear Sanctuary’ which is now available for purchase.

Victor has worked tirelessly for the past 30 years in the field of animal welfare and in 1992 set up WSPA’s ‘Libearty’ campaign, the world’s first international campaign to protect bears in the wild and captivity from cruelty.  Thanks to Victor’s efforts, in the early 90s, the first bear sanctuaries were built allowing many countries to eradicate the cruel practice of ‘dancing bears’ allowing bears rescued from this fate to live out the rest of their days in peace, in purpose-built forested sanctuaries.

Most recently, Victor has supported the creation of the Romanian bear sanctuary which features in his book and the subsequent rescue of captive bears in Romania. His book gives an incredible insight into the lives of bears both before and after rescue and the threats facing these magnificent animals. As well as the Romanian sanctuary, the book looks at sanctuaries in Turkey, Greece, Thailand and China.

The book is a must for all bear lovers. ‘Bear Sanctuary’ is now available in paperback at www.bearsanctuary.com and also as a downloadable Kindle e-book (available from the Amazon Kindle Store). An iBook version (for iPad and iPhone) is now also available from the Apple iTunes Store.

A donation from the sale of this book will be used to help rescue and care for bears in the Romanian bear sanctuary and elsewhere around the world where bears are under threat in the wild or suffering from cruelty in captivity.

Please take a minute to visit the Bear Sanctuary website and learn more about bear sanctuaries around the world.

The talk documented their work to rescue bears from the brutal bear farming industry and was heartbreaking as you can imagine.  However, the work this organisation is doing to tackle this horrendous trade, is equally inspiring.

We learned about the thousands of bears who are still held captive in farms across Asia in conditions that can only be described as torture chambers for bears, but we also saw wonderful slides of released bears, now living happy and healthy lives in Animals Asia’s Chengdu sanctuary.

One picture in the presentation that brought sadness and hope in equal measure was a picture of three deceased bears lined up in a row on the grass in the sunshine.  These bears hadn’t made it and despite the veterinary teams best efforts, they couldn’t save them.  However, the warmth and compassion of the Chinese sanctuary staff shone through as they lovingly placed these bears on the grass, so just once they would have grass underfoot and sun on their backs.

However, by far, it was Oliver’s story that moved me the most and although I have been aware of the brutality of the bear farming industry for years, I think this poor bear symbolises it more than anything.

Rescued in April 2010, after 30 years trapped in a cage suffering the torture of bile extraction and being confined in a painful, heavy metal jacket Oliver, a brown bear and his strength of spirit, is an inspiration to all.

When the Animals Asia team found him, they were faced with a sad, distressed and physically damaged bear.  He was unresponsive and in constant pain.  He became known, affectionately as their ‘Broken Bear’.

After release from his cage, came the journey from the farm back to the sanctuary.  During this journey, Oliver’s condition deteriorated further due to the bear farm owner having ripped the catheter that had been embedded for years, out of Oliver’s abdomen.

Under the most dreadful of conditions, the Animals Asia veterinary team had no option but to perform emergency surgery in the back of the truck where Oliver underwent a four hour life saving operation to remove his damaged gall bladder.  Thankfully, there was an immediate improvement in Oliver’s condition – perhaps this poor, sorry bear’s luck was changing at last.

Oliver’s joy at being released from his cage was plain for all to see and he loves his new home at Animals Asia’s Chengdu Sanctuary.  Considering he spent 30 years – normally the lifespan of these bears in a cage, he is now a curious, inventive and active bear!  Despite his stunted legs, he loves playing in the water and with all the sanctuary toys.  He is stimulated and happy… and free.

Please visit Animals Asia’s website  to learn more about their incredible work to end bear farming and click here to see Oliver in his new surroundings.

The Winton Foundation for the Welfare of Bears is currently assisting with the funding of Animals Asia’s ‘Bear Enrichment Programme’ – a vital project which provides toys and play structures that stimulate the bears and help them exhibit natural behaviour.  Please help us continue to support this immensely important aspect of the bears recovery after rescue from bile farms.

Jasper relaxing in his hammock - do you think he's comfortable enough?!

The Foundation has funded a Fire Hose Hammock like this one, along with a log wall.

A number of information stalls have now been held at our local garden centre, Strawberry Corner in Wallyford, and we would like to say a huge thank you to all the staff and customers who have given us such great support promoting the work of the Foundation.

Plans are well underway for our Summer Fayre in the Corn Exchange in Haddington on July 23rd which we will be holding jointly with Animals Asia’s Edinburgh Support Group.  We have some great stallholders coming along providing a huge variety for the event and a great day out for all the family.  If you would like a stall or more information, please do get in touch.  More details will follow nearer the time.

We have also set a date for our first year anniversary celebrations.  It will be a 70’s and 80’s disco to be held in the Walkabout Bar in the Omni Centre on Saturday 15^th October.  It will be a great night with great music!  Again, please get in touch if you would like to reserve tickets.

Because we have been so busy lately and supporters have been so generous, we have been able to make another three donations of funds, first to the Idaho Black Bear Rehabilitation Centre that works to rescue bear cubs orphaned through hunting and return them to the wild, second to The BEAR League in California that works to educate people on how to live in harmony with bears and third, we’ve bought some wonderful play equipment for bears rescued from bear farms through Animals Asia’s Bear Enrichment Programme.  More details will follow in the June newsletter but it is fabulous to be in a position already, to help so many more brilliant projects to help make life better for bears.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

Keep making it bearable!

Lesley

Our ‘Summer Fair‘ date has been set for Saturday 23rd July at the Corn Exchange in Haddington.  Tables are available to stallholders at £15 each.  We will be having various ‘sections’ including ‘Health & Beauty’, ‘Arts & Crafts’, ‘Jewellery’, a ‘Kiddies Corner’ and for fun a ‘Bears Corner’.  If you are interested in having a table please get in touch.

Our one year anniversary 70′s and 80′s disco date has been set for Saturday October the 15th… more details to follow!