Ursa Freedom Project

global project to conserve bears and their habitat

Else Poulsen helps us better understand bears by providing an enlightening and moving portrait of them in all their richness and complexity in her book Smiling Bears. Else is known internationally for her work in captive bear husbandry and rehabilitation. 


In the eighties, Poulsen became a zookeeper in Calgary, Canada, where she rehabilitated bears in crisis. She has shared in the joy of a polar bear discovering soil under her paws for the first time in 20 years, felt the pride of a cub learning to crack nuts with her molars, and grieved at the horror of seeing captive Asian black bears on bile farms in China. In an excerpt from her book Smiling Bears, Poulsen writes ...

I crouched down and peered through the barred end of the crate. At the opposite end sat a small female polar bear with her back to me. Expecting no response, I quietly called her name: “Bärlein,” which means “little bear” in German. She turned around and came over, looking me right in the eyes; we were nose to nose. 

We were in the middle of the FedEx warehouse at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and the hangar-amplified noise of banging machinery, motorized equipment, and confusion of people doing their jobs was psychotropic — at least to me, and not in a good way. Bärle didn’t seem bothered by it at all. But then, she had spent her entire adult life in what amounted to a crate in a circus environment, surrounded by incessant noise and sadly habituated to being treated like cargo. Odd as it may seem, her crate was the only place where she was safe, where no one could physically hurt her. Read more

Today Poulsen works as an animal management consultant for zoos, sanctuaries, wildlife rehabilitators and other animal welfare groups. She is also president of the founding Board of Directors of the non-profit Bear Care Group, which is comprised of professionals who care for bears. Poulsen lives in southern Ontario. Her book is available from Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Greystone.




Last updated by Jeanette McDermott Nov 17.

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Meet UFP Member, author Else Poulsen

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Created by Jeanette McDermott Feb 12, 2009 at 10:42pm. Last updated by Jeanette McDermott Nov 17.

Smiling Bears by Else Poulsen

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Created by Jeanette McDermott Nov 16, 2009 at 10:25pm. Last updated by Jeanette McDermott Nov 17.

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Conservation issues related to bear species decline
Habitat loss
Wildlife trafficking and trade
Climate Change
Salmon Declines

Ethical issues related to bear species decline
Trophy hunting
Bear baiting
Bile farming
Den hunting
Dancing bears

Trafficking bears and their parts for use in traditional Asian medicine is decimating wild populations of bears.

Unless urgent reforms are introduced quickly, many species face an irreversible fate: extinction. There are over 50 herbal alternatives to bear bile for use in TCM. Download the WSPA pamphlet Herbal Alternatives to Bear Bile.

Within these eco portals are key people and organizations that are working to heal Mother Earth.

Smithsonian Zoogoer has great stories about the bear species and their wild relations.

Download the Educator's Guide to Biodiversity and engage in dialogue about teaching youth about our wondrous Mother Earth.

The IUCN Red List is a key conservation tool. Download the pdf to learn more.

"The longer we wait, the more expensive it will be to prevent future extinctions," says Dr Jane Smart, Head of IUCN's Species Programme. "We now know what species are threatened, what the threats are and where we have no more excuses to watch from the sidelines." Learn more about bears on the IUCN Red List of Threatened and Endangered Specie.

Click here to read stories that give voice to wildlife.

Hunted for sport, shot for their fur, killed for their gall bladders, farmed for their bile, used as 'dancing bears' and used in circuses ... their habitat is being destroyed. They need our protection. ~ WSPA
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Ich habe die UFP Gruppe auf Xing.com gegründet. Wer mag Mitglied werden? Erzählt es gern auch weiter. :)
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Jeanette McDermott Sending a greeting to our new members.
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I"m so thankful for the work these organizations are doing to rescue bears from horrendous situations to end their suffering, and for raising awareness about the trafficking and trade of bears and their parts. It's important for us all to spread t...
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