Bear Rescue Vietnam

 

JUNE 16:  VIETNAM!

We learnt of 4 moon bears caged for over 16 years in tiny, dirty prisons, likely mutilated to extract bile from their gall bladders. They are the LAST 4 caged bears in Long An province. Rescuing these 4 bears will bring us one step closer to ending bear bile farming in Vietnam FOREVER (last year you helped us rescue the last remaining bears in Lam Dong province - watch the video here).

UPDATE: WE DID IT! After waiting months due to a COVID lockdown, we FINALLY were able to rescue 3 of the 4 bears on October 28. The owner of the 4th bear, which is in a different location, is not yet willing to hand the bear over, but we'll keep trying.  

While we were waiting to rescue these bears, we rescued a RECORD 12 other bears, 10 of which are cubs, 3 of them having lost paws to wire snare traps - see below.

JUNE 19:  CAMBODIA RESCUE #212 (Adopted & named Zelda)

After receiving an emergency call, our team were able to rescue a female moon bear caged for 12 years in Kandal province, southeast Cambodia. The team arrived safely back to the sanctuary late in the evening. Watch some clips from the rescue by clicking here. This is the 212th bear we've rescued in Cambodia.

JUNE 22:  LAOS RESCUE #94 (Adopted & named Janey)

We were able to rescue of  a young female moon bear found in squalid conditions in a tiny cage behind a restaurant. She appears stunted with tiny legs, likely from being starved of nutrition as a cub (her mother likely killed by poachers). Clips from the rescue by clicking here

JULY 2: LAOS RESCUE #95 & #96 (Adopted & named Sid & Nancy)

We rescued 2 orphaned moon bear cubs, a brother and sister, in the south of Laos. Laos Rescue #95 & #96 are estimated to be 6-7 months of age & undergoing rehabilitation at the Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary. Watch some clips from the rescue here

JULY 10: CAMBODIA RESCUE #213 & #214 (Adopted & named Chhaiya & Kannitha)

2 disabled female moon bear cubs arrived at our Cambodia Bear Sanctuary. Estimated to be around 8 months old, they're in poor condition, undernourished, stressed. Tragically, BOTH cubs are missing their front right as a result of wire snare traps. Watch the cubs arrival by clicking here

JULY 30: LAOS RESCUE #97!

Laos Rescue #97, a 4-5 month old orphaned female moon bear cub was rescued. Watch her arrival here by clicking here. Thank you all so much for helping us with so many rescues.

AUGUST 7: LAOS RESCUE #98 & #99!

Laos Rescue #98 & #99 arrived to the Cub Nursery of our Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary. The brothers are around 5 months old and in good health (& our Cub Nursery is almost FULL again with 7 cubs rescued in 3 months). Watch their arrival by clicking here.

AUGUST 12: LAOS RESCUE #100!

Laos Rescue #100 is a 1.5 year old orphaned male moon bear cub, in reasonably good condition, now in quarantine. Watch his arrival here. 

AUGUST 31: LAOS RESCUE 101!

We've rescued a small male moon bear cub which was being kept in a tiny birdcage & terribly stressed, watch the rescue here.

SEPTEMBER 29: CAMBODIA RESCUE 215!

Our team rescued a tiny female moon bear cub that had lost most of a paw to a wire snare trap & then been hogtied causing more severe injuries on all legs. She is in very poor condition, we hope she will survive.

NOVEMBER 10: LAOS RESCUE 102!

Our team rescued a female moon bear cub from far northern Laos. Watch the rescue here.

NOVEMBER 27: VIETNAM RESCUE 59!

Our team rescued a male sun bear cub that was being kept as a 'pet' in a cage on the roof of a house in Vietnam, our 21st bear rescued in 2021, 21 for '21! Watch the rescue here.

This is the first time in the 26 year history of Free the Bears that we've had so many rescues across 3 countries in such a short time. This is likely another tragic consequence of COVID as people turn to the forest to make up for lost income.

Rescuing 17 bears across 3 countries in so short a time places massive pressure on Free the Bears. If you're not already, please join our family of Bear Carers, you'll be helping protect, rescue & care for endangered sun bears & moon bears like these. Thank you. Click here to learn more: https://freethebears.org/pages/bear-carer. Or click here to make a one-off donation to assist with these rescues. Huge thanks to everyone who has already donated, we greatly appreciate your support. Thank you & bear hugs!

 

 
TO READ MORE ABOUT THE STATUS OF BEARS IN VIETNAM, READ OUR WEBSITE BLOG HERE

WHERE WILL THE VIETNAM BILE FARM BEARS GO? 

After rescue they'll undergo a month or more of quarantine at our Bear Rescue Centre. These old bears look to be in poor shape, we suspect they'll require extensive vet care. Eventually we hope they'll graduate from the Bear Rescue Centre to the Bear Sanctuary & enjoy their twilight years in a large forest enclosure with trees, climbing platforms, swimming pools, caves and hammocks, as well as enjoying a healthy diet and enrichment to stimulate their complex minds. We are currently completingBear House 4 at our Cat Tien Bear Sanctuary, specifically built to house bears from bile farms & bring this vile practice to an end. Please give generously if you can - your donation will be used to help rescue and rehabilitate these beautiful bears.

Please enjoy the video below showing you the forest enclosures at our Cat Tien Bear Sanctuary. We try to give the rescued bears the best life possible, it's the least we can do to make up for the suffering they've endured. Thank you.