The poor lions across from the bears had a bit of a rough day, I could see one of them was just fed up with people, he sat at the front of his enclosure at the fence line and was visibly irritable, his wild eyes caught mine as crowds swarmed in front of him. Almost in a stubborn way he refused to move away and growled at people directly in front of him and of course the apparent reaction for some people here is to throw things at the lion to get a great photo...something which unfortunately is a familiar thing at home too. He would launch at the fence to the great delight of visitors and me being me I couldn't stand it so I just kind of sauntered over and tried my best to emulate what they were doing that they shouldn't trying to withhold my crankiness. They did understand though and just stared at me and I just stood there until they moved on, it just goes to show how little is understood in the way of what is considered to be cruel, taunting a lion by throwing things obviously isn't considered to be. Same thing with feeding animals, I caught a couple of people throwing pieces of muesli bars and snacks to an enclosure that holds 8 bears. The bears lined up at the fence waiting to catch a scrap, unfortunately there obviously isn't enough to go around so what else is to happen apart from the bears becoming aggravated and fighting with each other....again much to the delight of the visitors. Same deal again here I just stood there, emulated and waited until they left.
It's just something that the Cambodian people don't understand and Free the Bears works with local schools to educate children and give them an understanding of what is considered to be cruel and why hunting and owning an illegal pet isn't a good for them or the animal.
In the wake of this countries sad history people were looking for a way to survive, a way to feed their families and repairing their lives and this would always come before anyone even thought of the suffering of animals...simply unheard of. I completely understand this, it's a nation thrown into turmoil and looking for a resource for money and bears happens to be one, they did it out of necessity not out of greed unlike some of the canned hunting that goes on in Africa egged on by rich tourists.
So for the future of wildlife here education is key, for the country to begin to repair its environment education is key...
Very simple things that at home people don't approve of such as littering...eating my lunch I watch a little girl open her bag of chips and through the top seal on the ground, it actually really shocked me just to see it in person and I was genuinely surprised at my reaction despite seeing the country side with more garbage masses than grass.....again a people that doesn't understand the long term reprocussioins of single handedly ruining their environment due to a lack of education and government services such as garbage pick up etc that we have, its simply not done...good luck ever finding a garbage can here.
Probably the hardest thing I saw that day was the beggars... everyday entering the sanctuary the older generation is lining the road holding a bowl or hands in prayer form begging for money. Maybe any given day we'd see roughly 10 people but on Chinese New Year, it was around 50 or more lining both sides, old men, women and very young children, begging for money as you drive past and this is all they have to do. It seems once your unfit to work or too old to be useful you end up begging as there is nowhere for you in society, though I wonder where their families are? There are grandparents teaching their grandchildren to beg because people feel sorry for children and cough up the money in turn these children will never recieve an education because collecting money and picking up cans for a 0.50c per kilo return is much more worth it to their families.
Children and elderly or disabled people will beg everywhere and you never know where that money is going, more likely it is going to someone controlling that sector of a cities poor population almost like a mafia scenario. No matter what you give them it's likely it will be sold on even food, so as a tourist I cannot do it, in my own mind as much as it hurts I can't give in to it. Mothers carrying babies on the street begging because it will likely bring in more money if they hold a tiny sleeping baby then seeing them later counting out their dollar bills from passers by...it's heartbreaking but I cannot give in not knowing where that money will end up. The hardest part leaving the sanctuary on New Year's Day was going back down that 5 km stretch back past the faces and every single one that we passed locked eyes with me, it chipped away more and more, every face that passed until finally my heart felt like someone had squeezed it to within an inch of life.
I know this is not the most pleasant post to read but it is a reality and a harsh one at that. But it opens your eyes to what you may not see though you cannot help but feel.
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