ABSTRACT
Volunteering in aid of wild animals is a potent means of meeting the leisure needs of some humans, and it enhances leisure for some abused, captive wild animals. This chapter focuses on the intersections with regard to one bear rescue programme funded and run primarily by volunteers, 'Free the Bears' (FTB) based in Australia and supported by people from a wide range of countries on site at one of the sanctuaries, Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre. FTB was registered as a not-for-profit charity in 1995. Bear species across the world are under threat as a result of environment loss, hunting for sport, extermination as pests and capture for entertainment and as pets. When fund-raising at markets or community events, the suffering of bears is what volunteers are asked about most frequently by members of the public, and the major reason that many people purchase goods or make donations.
