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Mary Hutton - Founder |
In 1993, Mary Hutton was watching a local current affair program in Perth,
Western Australia. She saw a segment that would change her life, and the life of
her family. The segment contained horrifying footage of Asiatic Black Bears held
in coffin sized cages unable to move or turn with non-surgical steel pipes
inserted directly into their gall bladder. Every two weeks or so their keeper
would insert a syringe into the tube and "milk" them for their bile - an Asian
cure-all medicine. Gall bladders have been used in Asian medicine for centuries,
however bear bile farming is a relatively new procedure so that the bear,
instead of producing only one gall bladder from it’s carcass, can be "milked" of
its bile for its entire adult life.
The next day, Mary drew up a petition and stood herself at the entrance of the
local shopping mall. Within months, she had thousands of signatures, a regular
group which became a committee and was beginning to receive information from
other animal funds around the world - Free The Bears Fund was formed.
When the petition signatures reached around 130,000 Mary and a small delegation
of school children representing Free The Bears Fund were permitted to present
them in person to the Chinese Embassy in Canberra. The surrounding publicity and
continued public interest eventually lead to plans to play an even more active
part.
In order to do more, money was needed. Lamington drives, film nights, raffles
(using donated prizes) and collection tins placed in shops and vet centres laid
the foundations. Soon donations were being received and fund membership and
merchandise became available.
During this time, Mary became aware of the plight of other bear species,
particularly the Sun Bears of South East Asia. Not only were they the least
known and most endangered bear species, they were undeniably the worst treated.
Mary received a phone call from an Australian business man, Mr John Stephens,
who was based in Cambodia. He informed her of some small Sun Bear cubs that he
has acquired from restaurants in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital, and was holding
at his house. "Could Free The Bears find a home for these cubs". He had tried
everyone else to no avail. Mary got on the phone and did not get off until she
had the answer she was looking for.
Mr Wil Meikle, Director of Life Sciences at Sydney's Taronga Park Zoo, said if
the criteria could be met, he would gladly give them a home.
After a lot of import, export and quarantine procedures, a first was achieved.
The three Sun Bears, named Mr Hobbs, Victoria and Lucille, became the FIRST
transfer of an endangered species from Cambodia to Australia.
Free The Bears Fund Inc is now active in several countries in south-east Asia,
including Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Kalimantan and India, saving sun
bears, Asiatic black bears and sloth bears.
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