Lots of Ways to Help Beautiful Wild Bears
Bears are not native to England, but there are lots of ways to help them. Never visit zoos (polar bears have around 1 million times more space in the wild). Don’t hunt bears (the ban on trophy imports is pending) nor support tourist spectacles like ‘dancing bears’ or animal circuses.
Did you know that the guards at Buckingham Palace still wear real bearskins (from hunted animals)? Even though there are far superior faux fur versions available these days.
Meet the Bears is a creative book for children to learn about the world’s bears (polar, spectacles, moon, sun, brown & black and pandas). Includes advice for staying safe in Bear Country, and a bear-size comparison guide!
Choose Recycled Paper Everything!
Obviously anything made from wood comes from trees, and a lot of wood is from abroad. So protect habitats for all species, try to choose recycled or reclaimed where possible (or tree-free). Like forest-friendly bathroom tissue.
A Book of Bears is a lovely book for children. Learn about their likes and homes. Who is the best climber, and who is the fastest at catching fish?
International Charities That Help Bears
Animals Asia was set up by an English woman to stop the bear bile trade. It rescues moon bears (and sun bears), who live in peace at sanctuaries.
If you prefer to give anonymously, set up an account with Charities Aid Foundation. Tick the box to avoid communication from charities, manage donations and add gift aid.
Sign up to easyfundraising. When you shop with registered companies, they donate a percentage of each sale, to favourite causes. This does not affect loyalty points.
The store sells organic cotton tees (for men, women and children) to raise funds. All are made with green energy, sent in zero waste packaging.
Get Bear Smart (North America) educates communities on how to live peacefully alongside wild bears, and can help set up a local Chapter. And recommends bearproof food carriers & trash cans.
Some of its advice includes:
- Wash dishes, dispose of at least 100m from camp.
- Don’t sleep in the clothes that you cook in.
- Don’t bring food or smelly items inside your tent.
- Don’t approach bears, nor approach animal carcasses.
- Don’t use bird-feeders (grow natural food in hedgerows).
- Don’t leave food in your vehicle.
- Don’t hike with untrained dogs off-leash.
- Don’t linger near salmon-filled streams!
Although we don’t have wild bears in England, Big Belly bins (which compact waste down using a solar panel) include interfaces to deter rats, squirrels, gulls and foxes from raiding bins and leaving food over parks (safer for them too, as they are less likely to get stuck inside).
How to Help Save Endangered Polar Bears
Polar bears are critically endangered, due to melting ice (which stops them hunting seals, their main food).
This means they must swim longer distances, or wander onto land where food is scarce and they come into contact with humans (polar bears are also at risk from hunting and oil/plastic pollution).
The best way to help is simply to use less oil (drive and fly less, and switch to green energy). Climate scientists say that if current planet trends continue, the Arctic could see ice-free summers (a death sentence for polar bears, as they can’t adapt to life on land).
How to Help Panda Bears
Panda bears are charming solitary bears that are highly protected in their native China. Industrial bamboo (used for clothing and furniture) is not the same as fresh shoots, eaten by pandas.
Koalas Are Not Bears (but still cute!)
Koalas marsupials (not bears) but also at risk from climate change. And over-use of flammable eucalyptus trees (which cause wildfires – Spain and Portugal has banned new plantations to make ‘compostable packaging’ and Tencel fabric). Chainsaw harvesting can also happen in Australia, to harvest eucalyptus oil.
