The Winton Foundation for the Welfare of Bears

18/06/2026

***MORE EXCITING NEWS!***
We have some more super exciting news to bring you very soon. Another new beneficiary and a project very different from the type we normally fund. We are really over the moon to be supporting this new initiative....so check back soon!

15/06/2026

We'll be bringing you another very exciting update this week about another project we are funding - something quite different for us! We'll bring you this news towards the end of the week.

In the meantime, we are in the process of producing a Special Edition of our Newsletter 'Bears Matter' which will cover two extra special and impactful years - 2024 and 2025. If you are not yet on our email mailing list please just DM us your email details and we'll make sure you're added.

03/06/2026

***Wonderful Update***

As promised yesterday we now bring you the first of our exciting updates!

You may recall, last June, we brought you news of a new beneficiary - Gold Country Wildlife Rescue based in Auburn, California, USA. GCWR are dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing injured, orphaned and sick bear cubs and are one of only 3 facilities in California authorised to rehabilitate black bear cubs.

Last year we were delighted to donate $3000 to GCWR to build their bear cubs a multi level sunning platform. We were so pleased to recently receive an update on how the platform is progressing and we're so excited to share these photos with you. Next step - adding large logs and tree cuttings to transform it into a forest climbing gym for future cubs! We can't wait to see the bears playing on it!
Photos courtesy of GCWR

02/06/2026

We are delighted to let you know that we have two wonderful updates to bring you this week on two exciting new projects we are funding - one in California and one in Pakistan! We will bring the first update tomorrow so please check back soon!

In the meantime, for anyone who hasn't seen it, here is another opportunity to see our special 15th Anniversary film created by incredible young film maker Anna McGhie. Enjoy!

27/05/2026

There are so many ways you can help the Winton Bear Foundation and help us continue to help bears in need around the world.

This week we were delighted to have a visit from two lovely sisters Moira and Christine from Edinburgh and East Lothian in Scotland. They had fairly recently lost their beloved mum, Margaret who was an avid collector of artists bears and figurines.

When Moira and Christine became aware of the Bear Foundation they very very kindly thought donating their mum's bear collection to us to help raise funds, would be the perfect way to honour her memory and we agree!

We are so grateful to Moira and Christine and their Mum Margaret for their generosity. This beautiful collection which includes Merrythought, Boyds Bears and Charlie Bears along with Colourbox bears will enable us to raise even more funds at our biggest annual fundraising event - the Scottish Bear Fair in October.

Thank you so much for your kindness Moira and Christine - we will do your mum proud and help many more bears worldwide!

21/05/2026

Further to our last post, we are delighted to bring you more photos of our delivery of enrichment toys to Eso and Byara - the rescued Brown Bears now safe and looked after in Scotland at the Five Sisters Zoo Bear Sanctuary.

Enjoy!

Photos by Jacqui du Rocher and Lesley Winton

19/05/2026

Last week we had the great pleasure of delivering some lovely enrichment toys to the rescued bears at the Five Sisters Zoo in Scotland.

We took two large barrels for their pond and two large boomer balls to be packed full of treats for them to have hours of fun with! This batch of toys went to their Brown Bears - Eso and Byara and we'll be taking more through shortly for their Asiatic Black Bear - Baloo.

We thought you'd like to see some video footage from the day and we'll share some photos soon too. Enjoy!

13/05/2026

We have some amazing updates to bring you shortly thanks to some incredibly kind Winton Bear Foundation supporters so check back soon.

In the meantime, we thought you might like to see the new toys we're taking to the Five Sisters Zoo bears tomorrow! A couple of large floating barrels for them to play with in their ponds and a couple of large boomer balls that they can spend hours of fun getting treats out of.

We'll bring you more updates very soon! Now....to get them in the car!

02/05/2026

After a very long snooze over the winter our Scottish Bears at the Five Sisters Zoo are finally up! Baloo, Byara and Eso are now all out of hibernation and enjoying the spring sunshine. We've been chatting to the amazing team at the FSZ about how we can best support them this year - we'll bring you more updates soon!

24/04/2026

Help Animals Asia rescue the last 150 remaining bears trapped on bear farms in Vietnam.

You may have recently seen a piece on Channel 5 news (UK) on Animals Asia's incredible work to completely end bear farming in Vietnam. Please lend your support by adding your name to their open letter to rescue the last remaining 150 bears. Follow this link:

Around 150 bears are still caged on former bile farms in Vietnam. Sign the letter to the Prime Minister and help set them free.