Rescued Baby Sun Bear Learns to climb and play | The Travel Edit

The trade in illegal bear parts is estimated to be valued at two billion US dollars. So I'm on my way now to meet up with a friend Matt who's lived here for many years working tirelessly to try and help the wildlife. Matt Hunt is the CEO of Free the Bears. Desperate season bears. And is responsible for over 200 sun and moon bears that have been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. So this is coming to meet our newest arrival and the tiniest bear currently in our care. What's her name? Aya Stark from Game of Thrones. Aya is a sun bear. She came to the centre at one month of age and is now five months. This is not only the first baby bear of that but the first bear full stop. She's just adorable isn't she? When they're young it doesn't take her long to build her confidence up does it? That's the tickling that helps. Today is a big day. Aya is now old enough to leave the nursery and Giles is helping to prepare her new home. What we've got Giles is a bunch of wood mulch. Ah literally being nailed by the tiniest ants but they sting. So this enclosure is going to be the next stage for her rehabilitation so it's her new home. So the mulch is going to serve two purposes. Ah that was a big one. What the? It's going to act as a bit of a crash mat if she does take a tumble from the new climbing structure. But also really encourage that sort of natural digging and foraging behaviour. Shall we go get her? Great I'm excited I want to see how she goes. Where are we? This is what the job's about is trying to make sure that every one of these bears has the best life possible. As a species they're in serious trouble but as an individual this is what every day is about you know. Another first for Aya is joining Giles for a forest walk. Good girl. It is surreal walking with a baby bear. These small steps going from one enclosure to the next to then starting to get out there and explore some of the forest are actually really big leaps in her rehabilitation and development. Where are we? So this is her very first tree that she's ever climbed. I think she's decided she needs a bit of a rest. A sun bear is the smallest member of the bear family. Adept climbers they often make nests high up in treetops. That's high enough I can't reach her anymore. I'm very conscious about making sure she doesn't fall. That's as high as we go. There's lots of people doing lots of really good things. These bears have a future and it does give me hope. If we can save the forest for the bears then you're saving that habitat for all the other species that share that same home.