BEARS ABOUT THE HOUSE

BBC Two, 8.00pm

Conservationist Giles Clark is best known for his hands-on work with big cats and habit of playing host to unusual furry house guests. For this two-parter, Clark turns his attention from cat to bear and tackles his biggest challenge yet: spending 12 months taking on the illegal wildlife trade and building a pioneering bear sanctuary in Laos.

Across Asia, bears are sold as trophy pets, and killed for food and traditional Asian medicine. The most valuable part is their gallbladder, since it stores bile, a digestive fluid thought to have medicinal qualities.

Over 10,000 bears are kept caged in Asian bear farms so their bile can be extracted. Clark and the team at the charity Free the Bears are determined to put a stop to this cruel practice in Laos and lobby the government to close down the farms. Clark also gets up close and personal when he steps in to help Mary, an adorable five-month-old sun bear. Fragile and malnourished after her mother was killed in the wild, she lives with Clark at home while she needs roundthe-clock specialist care. Heartwarmingly, we witness Mary’s developmental milestones and progress towards happiness. Michael Hogan

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