BBC Two’s two-part documentary Bears About the House has been the must watch doc of July. 

The deceptively cute title reeled in viewers, who were then exposed to the shocking reality of the bear trade in South East Asia. Although there is plenty of cuteness, as conservationist Giles Clark rescues and rehabilitates sun and moor beans, this series has its fair share of heartbreaking moments.

The first episode (Wednesday, July 15th) ended on a cliffhanger, previewing that episode 2 (July 22nd) would feature a theft from the bear sanctuary.

So, what happened to David and Jane from Bears About the House?

Screenshot: Bears About the House S1 E2 – iPlayer

David and Jane on Bears About the House

David and Jane are sibling moon bear cubs who were rescued in Laos by Giles and Matt (who is the CEO of Free the Bears). They were being illegally advertised for sale online, after their mother had been killed in the wild.

When they were rescued, both cubs were almost emaciated and far from the size they should be. It was clear to Giles and Matt that the bears had recently been taken from the wild, as Jane had a leech up her nose.

The first challenge of their rehabilitation was getting the bear cubs to trust Giles and Matt. Jane was undeniably the more confident of the two bears; David was initially frightened and then aggressive. But it didn’t take too long before they welcomed the care. After their improvements, the animal care team decided it was time to move Jane and David to the sanctuary, where they could live in the nursery which sun bear Mary once inhabited.

What happened to David and Jane?

Once David and Jane were settled into their new nursery, things took a turn for the worse.

The criminal bear trade was a point of discussion throughout the two-part series, however both Giles and Matt were unaware that the thieves would go after them on their doorstep.

In a heartbreaking twist, David and Jane were taken in the middle of the night by thieves. This is most likely so they could be sold into the illegal bear trade.

As the two bears are not on the Free the Bears website, it is most likely that they were never recovered.

 

Bears About the House fans react to the theft

Understandably, viewers were shocked by the theft in Bears About the House. They took to Twitter in their masses to condemn the bear trade and express their outrage at the theft.

One viewer tweeted: “Please god they find David & Jayne. They thought they were safe, believed again, only to be ripped away again to be stored in hell for their bile. I hate humans so much.”

Another wrote: “The story of Jane and David tonight was so devastating. It is shocking how evil people can be.”

 

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