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Since January 2020, we have been involved in the 1% for the planet association: 100€ of purchase at Alaskan Maker = 1€ donated to the association "Sun Bear Outreach". This association takes in Malayan bear cubs which, in Indonesia, are subject to many threats and, as far as possible, tries to reintroduce them into their natural environment or to improve the well-being of the Malayan bears. You can read more about it here.
WHAT IS 1% FOR THE PLANET?
A non-profit association launched in 2002 in the United States by Yvon Chouinard, founder and owner of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, former owner of Blue Ribbon Flies. Driven by a common philanthropy, they created a network to bring together companies concerned about their ecological impact.
Since January 2020, we have been a corporate donor and we donate 1% of our turnover to environmental protection organisations. It was important to us to choose a particular organisation with which we share common values in order to donate 1% of our turnover.
THE INSPIRATION FOR ALASKAN MAKER
The inspiration for the brand was born in the great North American wilderness, where nature is king. That's why the bear is the emblem of our brand as a symbol of wild life. We love to travel the world, to roam, to discover, to create and we love to share our universe with you. It seemed only natural that we should look for a concrete action to be carried out with the profits from Alaskan MAKER. As a small French start-up, we found a way to act to defend the nature and wildlife that we love so much. After some research, we discovered Patrick Rouxel's association, Sun Bear Outreach
PATRICK ROUXEL'S ASSOCIATION, HELPING THE BEARS
We were immediately impressed by Patrick, by his authenticity. Founded in 2014, the association works for the well-being of Malay bears, threatened by a hostile environment in South East Asia. The association works mainly in various refuges in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. It is a region that we know because we lived in Indonesia for almost 10 years before creating the Alaskan MAKER brand, a nice nod!
His association has a concrete project and Patrick is active in the field. All motivated by this association, it only took one call to hook up with him right away!
Bunbun
THE SUN BEAR
The Malayan bear is the smallest of the bears and is called the "Sun bear" because of its characteristic yellow patch on the chest. These bears live in the tropical swamp forests of South East Asia.
Khala
The Malayan bear population is estimated to have declined by 30% over the past 30 years, and they have been classified as 'Vulnerable' since 2007, meaning they are at high risk of extinction in the wild, according to the IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Malay bears face various threats,
Their habitat loss is significant due to deforestation. In Borneo and Sumatra, this deforestation is due to the expansion of large-scale cultivation such as oil palm plantations & the timber industry.
Hunting is also a threat to Malay bears. Hunting is prohibited in Indonesia, but unfortunately very few controls are carried out. Malay bears are hunted for their gallbladders and paws.
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Animal trafficking is their third threat, the cubs are domesticated as pets but once they reach adulthood they remain confined for the rest of their lives.
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Kecil before (alone in a 1 m2 cage)
Kecil after (with 5 other bears in 16500 m2)
The association works in the field to reintroduce cubs into the forest whenever possible, however the process is tedious and requires a total investment from the volunteers. The association also works in various refuges to improve the lives of captive bears by building large enclosures to allow the bears to evolve in their natural environment. These different actions are done in concert with the awareness of the condition of Malay bears on a local and international scale.
To explain Patrick Rouxel's approach, we have traced his journey step by step, from helping to reintroduce cubs into the forest to the installation of enclosures and the creation of his association.
More information on sunbearoutreach.org
We are happy to share with you this project that is so close to our hearts.
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