Heartbreaking Video Shows What Life Is Like for Mama Sun Bear and Her Cub Held Captive for Selfies

At first glance, this may all seem like harmless fun but for the critically endangered Sumatran Sun Bear, it’s anything but. Meet Ajib, she is a 12-year-old Sumatran Sun Bear that has a three-month-old baby named Marsha. Ajib works at the Bali Elephant Camp located in Indonesia, where she is forced to hug and pose with visitors as a photo prop. What these clueless and ignorant visitors don’t realize is that afterward, sweet Ajib is then confined to a tiny cage barely big enough to even turn around in. More than likely, they also don’t know that most wildlife used in the tourist photo prop industry are taken from their homes and families, and sold for thousands of dollars.

Animals Asia campaigns to help Sun Bears and other animals who are suffering from this widely unknown form of cruelty. With your help, Ajib and Marsha can be saved as well. Sign the petition and let the government and responsible parties know that this is not the type of “entertainment” or “selfies” you want to be associated with.

The video was captured by Animals Asia’s Indonesian partners, the Scorpion Foundation, a wildlife trade monitoring group. It shows the cruelty and conditions surrounding the tourist photo prop industry that so many wild animals fall victim to. Remember that many animals kept at attractions are confined and exploited in ways that cause unnecessary suffering – all to make a buck at the animals’ expense.

Learn more about why taking photos with wildlife is cruel and dangerous to both animals and people.