Welcome to Victor's bear blog!

I’m Victor Watkins – Wildlife Advisor for the World Society for the Protection of Animals, who I’ve worked for since it began in 1981.

After witnessing the suffering of bears around the world, I set up WSPA’s Libearty campaign in 1991. The campaign to save the world’s bears saw us join forces with other groups to campaign governments on the issues facing the world’s bears – bear farming, bear baiting, bears in poor zoo conditions and dancing bears.

Bear protection and conservation projects have been an important part of my work, taking me around the world. I’ve worked on many bear projects; rescuing dancing bears, building sanctuaries in Greece and Turkey, undercover investigations into the trade in bear parts in China and Korea and into overcrowded bear parks in Japan.

Now, I’m delighted that the British public will get an opportunity to see and understand Romania’s brown bears, through Animal Planet’s Bear Sanctuary series, starting on Thursday 13th November. Join me in following the bears’ journey from rescue to eventual release in our sanctuary – a man made oasis for our rescued bears.

Comments

[Katharine for WSPA UK]

Hi Clio,

I wanted to let you know that Benny is doing well in the sanctuary. Because of his age (we think he is around 28 years old), he is quite weak and slow on his feet. Bears normally live for 20-25 years in the wild, so at 28 Benny is quite an old bear! He can't live in one of the large forest enclosures as he is too old to compete with the younger bears. So for the moment he is living in the quarantine area where the sanctuary staff can keep and eye on him and make sure that he gets a good diet. Next year, if he is healthy enough, we may try moving him into a small forest area. Perhaps he can go in Max's enclosure...

[Katharine for WSPA UK]

Hi Manos, thank you for your supportive comments. WSPA has worked to eradicate the cruel practice of dancing bears from the streets of Greece and Turkey. I thought you would be interested to know that WSPA supported the Greek organisation Arcturos in the early 1990's to fund the first bear sanctuary and help rescue dancing bears.

[Neil Peter Sutton]

There is good news of various different kinds...especially at this time of the year as we come close to Christmas...may God continue to bless the work of WSPA and help us all to be more responsible for the creatures He has given us.
PS I hope and pray your cupboards will not be bare this Christmas !

[sonia Bates]

thankyou Victor and all at w.s.p.a
I am proud to be a member and so very proud of you all and all you do to help animals all around the world.

[thomas johnson]

As a family we can only say what a marvelous effort you are making for these magnificent animals and we will continue to donate to their cause keep up the good work

[thomas johnson]

As a family we can only say what a marvelous effort you are making for these magnificent animals and we will continue to donate to their cause keep up the good work

[Diane]

Times are hard for everyone and animals. Therefore I can only make a donation of £2 a month via standing order. All the people that have worked/watched/'blogged' with regards to these animals you are all wonderful kind people.
I wish you the best of luck and shall follow your work via the internet as I do not have sky, however should you need a petition signing requesting itv show the prgramme then i would eagley sign it. Best wishes love to the bears and carers. xx

[susan]

I am not able to get the programme as I don't subscribe to Sky, etc. But the work sounds wonderful. Am a member and would like to be able to donate more, but 3 hungry ponies to support. Two of them rescued.

[Jeanette Carter]

Thank God for people like you, Victor, and all your helpers who rescue and care for these magnificent animals. I've supported WSPA for years with a monthly standing order and would really love to watch your programmes on Animal Planet but don't have it. I will write to the BBC and ITV to ask if they could please show your series. If everyone who would like to watch also (and I know there must be thousands) could write too, perhaps we'll get the chance to see it and your work will be more broadly appreciated and helped.
Well done for all you do and THANK YOU SO MUCH.

[Mary Foley]

It was so great to see these beautiful creatures finally able to move around .I hope you can rescue all the bears .I'm a supporter and glad for all the animals you help

[Clio Gorman]

Hi Victor, Please could you advise what happened to Benny, the elderly male who was 37 years old? Is he ok? Best Wishes, Clio Gorman

[Gunilla Jenkins]

I highly commend you and everybody around you who dedicate their time and money to help animals of any kind. At this time I'm not in a position to donate anything ( I have in the past though) but my hope is that one day I will be in a position where I can really make a differens in many mistreated animals lifes.

[kim]

I am signed up for the 2009 Bear adventure challenge already so to see the sanctuary and its wonderful work on TV is really exciting, can't wait for next September!

[jill]

Thank God these majestic bears have a sanctuary where there is love and attention. Hopefully they will forget their awful past and thrive! I hope WSPA and Animals Asia can save all of the Bears who need rescuing.

[andy]

hello
it is appaling how some people treat animals you see every day how people try to help just like yourselves and if it wasnt for these few people/organizations making such a difference the humane race would rot
if i could i would give more than the amount i give to wspa each month but i cant as i am on incapacity benefit please keep up the good work

[Lorraine March]

Hi Victor, i would just like to thank you for your very informative talk yesterday at Hadlow, I am a member of WSPA and it was nice to speak to the professionals that you only ever read about. (I was the mature talkative student at the front)

[Rosalind Cuthill]

I watched the programme last night and it was wonderful.
Those lucky bears look so happy in their new enclosures and hopefully all bears in Romania will soon have a better life.
I saw your advert also showing the suffering of other bears round the world...us humans should hang our
heads in shame..

[Aylin Myumyunova]

I am an animal lover, and I will do my best to help your organisation.I hope that more people will come out of their ignorant attitude, and start helping with what they can.
Thank you WSPA

[Zara]

Keep up the good work! I wish we could do more for the bears in China and Asia, especially the bear farming, I saw some horrible videos how people extract substances from the bear liver while the animal is still alive and how it is left to die in pain, horrible! I have donated to WSPA as much as I could afford but if there is anything else I could do I would be happy to help.

[Gillian Dailly]

I thought the programme done a great job in making the public aware of the terrible conditions these bears have to endure. Hopefully this will encourage more prople to help the WSPA in it's challange and to stop unsuspecting tourists paying for this entertainment. The work you do is fantastic and I just wish that I could be there to help. Hopefully doing to bear adventure 2009, may see you there.

[marykdoherty@btinternet.com]

As I have tried to get animal planet and cant get it I was horrified to think what humans do to these animals but then I am animal nuts like them better then humans! Its great that you all are looking after the bears etc I feel great knowing that you all are out there and think like me over innocent defenceless animals and that goes for all the animals. I have decided to leave money to the wrsa when my house is sold when I die! or I will see what I can do beforehand. So keep up the good work at least I can relax that like me there are people out there looking after all those beautiful animals. Bye for now. Mary Doherty

[liz clarke]

I was so excited when I saw that the programme was going to be screened last Thursday, and I wasnt dissapointed. It was brilliant to see how my little contribution to Libearty has been spent and what a wonderful job all the team have done with all the rescued bears. It breaks my heart to see what dreadful conditions they are kept in and that they have no life whatsoever. It was wonderful to see them in their new home and the work that goes into getting them there. I would love to visit one day and help out but for now I will live out my fantasy through your brilliant and fascinating programme. Well done to you, WSPA and the Romanian Bear Sanctuary team!!!!

[Anthony Dacko]

Hi,

It just goes to show the excellent work the WSPA do for animals the programs are excellent it comes across well.

[Androulla]

WSPA, yourself and others are doing a brilliant job. Unfortunately, I missed programme, but I know of the wonderful work you do.

[Sarah Thomas]

I am a WSPA supporter, I saw your programme last night. I am so thankful that there are people like you out there helping these bears. I wish I could be there too. Keep up the good work. Well done.