For World Bear Day, here’s a glimpse behind-the-scenes at how we look after our rescued Sun Bears, plus a beary important update from abroad!

Here at Perth Zoo, we take a 360 approach to the health care of all our animals.
 
Sun Bears Bopha and Jamran are particularly special, as both have come into our care from harsh beginnings.
 
The pair were rescued as cubs and brought to Perth Zoo thanks to our conservation partner Free the Bears back in 2007.

Jamran had been found hog-tied at a restaurant, destined to be on the menu, while Bopha had been living as an illegal family pet.
 
Given these troublesome beginnings, our animal carers keep a close eye on their health and welfare.  

They have individualised welfare plans made up of enrichment activities, specialised diets, training plans, and a scheduled visit to the Vet Hospital each year.
 
Sun Bears are particularly clever and our pair are no exception! Thanks to ongoing positive training programs, both bears take an active role in their own healthcare.

Targeted healthcare training 

Just like with pets at home, our bears need a little extra support as they start to enter their golden oldie years.
 
Each day, keepers conduct daily training sessions to keep them mentally stimulated while also unlocking invaluable health care opportunities.
 
This training is only possible thanks to strong trusting relationships and the positive rapport between the bears and the keepers. It's all done on the Bopha and Jamran’s terms and has an overarching healthcare purpose.
 
That means any behaviours we ask the bears to do gives us the chance to check body parts that we wouldn’t normally see.
 
While Jamran understands that if he lifts his paws and exposes his belly he’ll get a tasty blueberry, his keepers use this time to record his body condition to keep track of his weight.
 
Or when Bopha opens her mouth wide in exchange for a strawberry, her keepers get a good look inside her mouth to check her dental health.
 
Injection training has enabled our vet team to administer anaesthetic to the bears for their annual health exams with minimal stress.

Thanks to these efforts, our teams can give Jamran a monthly injection to help manage his arthritis and even brush their teeth - how amazing is that!

An important update from Free the Bears

While we're celebrating our Sun Bears here in Perth, our conservation partner Free the Bears have been busy caring for countless other rescued bears in their sanctuaries, including two more cubs recently rescued bears. 

Just this month, Free the Bears rescued their 169th and 170th cub from the illegal wildlife trade.

 

Free the Bears was founded right here in Perth by Dr Mary Hutton OAM in the 1990s, and it's an organisation very close to our hearts.

Since 2007, we've been proudly partnered with Free the Bears to support the incredible work the team do rescuing bears from the illegal wildlife trade and providing a safe sanctuary for those saved in South-east Asia.