Having been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, our animal carers keep a close eye on the health and welfare of our beautiful male sun bear, Jamran. 

Jamran has an individualised welfare plan made up of enrichment activities, a specialised diet and of course, a scheduled visit to our vet hospital every couple of years. 

This week, vets conducted thorough checks of Jamran under general anaesthetic, examining body condition, dental health and joint mobility. Radiographs were also taken and pathology samples were drawn for testing. 

While he needed some troublesome teeth removed and a good dental scale and polish, vets were pleased to see Jamran is a healthy bear for his age. During his recovery, he will be on a special diet of soft foods. 

While Jamran enjoys top-notch welfare and excellent care here at Perth Zoo, he has come from traumatic beginnings and is an important ambassador for the plight of his species in the wild. 

In 2007, he was brought to live in the sanctuary of our Zoo after being rescued by Perth-founded organisation and our conservation partner Free the Bears. These regular health checks are particularly important for Jamran, as he sustained long-term injuries to his paws from being tied up outside a restaurant, destined for bear paw soup, before his rescue. 

Through community donations from YOU, we have been able to provide funds to Free the Bears, helping the organisation carry out important conservation and rescue work as well as care for rescued bears living in sanctuaries in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. 

Just last month, Free the Bears celebrated its 28th anniversary and announced their latest conservation news. A bile farm bear was found and saved in Vietnam after 22 years of suffering, and a tiny moon cub bear was rescued in Laos days later. 

While these latest rescues are now safe in Free the Bears’ sanctuaries, there is still more work to be done.

You can help save bears and many other animals by donating to Perth Zoo.