Despite the global crisis and national lockdowns our rescue teams in Vietnam have brought six more bears home to sanctuary so far this year, rescuing them from the horrific bear bile industry.
[Videos of their stories are available on the AnimalsAsia website.]
Despite the global crisis and national lockdowns our rescue teams in Vietnam
have brought six more bears home to sanctuary so far this year. You may have
been following their journeys and you may have donated to support their
rescues and rehabilitation. Supporters from all over the world have come
together to dramatically change the lives of these previously imprisoned
bears, making the work of our rescue, veterinary and bear care teams
possible, and allowing these bears the chance to walk on grass once more.
Thank you for every gift from the heart that touches the lives of these
sweet bears.
These are their stories.
Back in March Animals Asia’s Vietnam team were alerted by the Forest
Protection Department (FPD) to four bears who were in need of rescue from an
illegal farm in Nam Dinh province. Tragically the Covid-19 lockdown meant
that our rescue team wasn’t able to travel and one of the bears died. We
worked with the local FPD to have the bears moved to their station to avoid
further harm coming to the three surviving bears and advised them on how to
care for the bears while waiting for the strict travel restrictions to be
lifted.
When it was clear that it was safe to travel the rescue team set out on the
#ThreeBearsRescue. When they arrived on site they found three bears who were
obviously very anxious and distressed, which is unsurprising considering the
ordeal they had lived through. Although there were three bears it was clear
life had been no fairy tale for them and so in anticipation of the happily
ever after that was about to begin the bears were named after characters
from popular fairy tales.
The bears were named James, after James and the Giant Peach who overcame
cruelty to find friendship and security; Alice, whose time in a nightmarish
Wonderland was coming to an end and Bân, after Princess Bân from the
Vietnamese fairy tale about the clumsy daughter of the King of heaven whose
warmth of love and care extends to everyone on unexpectedly cold days.
Vietnam Bear and Vet Team Director Heidi Quine said: “Everyone fell in love
with these three bears immediately. It was clear that they were traumatised
by their experiences. On close inspection they appear to be quite young
bears, leading us to believe that they were captured from the wild and
possibly witnessed the death of their mother while cubs. We’re going to do
everything we can to earn back their trust and their forgiveness while
providing them with the best quality of life possible, free from the
prospect of decades trapped in cages.”
Once rescued the bears progressed slowly through a vital quarantine period
where our team assessed their health and progress until it was agreed that
they were prepared mentally and physically for transfer to more spacious
dens and eventually outdoor enclosures.
While the three bears were still in quarantine another rescue was launched
on International nurses day. The coronavirus pandemic has reminded everyone
of the absolutely essential health care work of nurses and so this bear
rescue was dubbed the #HealingHeartsRescue. The two bears we found, held as
a roadside attraction next to a restaurant, were about to warm the hearts of
supporters around the world.
The two bears were named after notable nurses Florence Nightingale who is
known as the founder of modern nursing and Clarissa (Clara) Barton, a
pioneering American nurse and founder of the American Red Cross. We
discovered that the bears had been held captive since they were 8 kilogram
cubs in the year 2000. It was hard to believe that these two intelligent
wild animals had spent two whole decades in such cramped cages.
Florence and Clara progressed through the stages of quarantine
rehabilitation really well, engaging with the enrichment items they were
given and responding well to their bear carers. They received full health
checks at our sanctuary hospital, sadly Clara showed signs of extensive
arthritis in her knees and right elbow, Florence has arthritis in her spine.
Having assessed their situation the veterinary team were able to begin
giving them pain relief medication.
Their teeth were also assessed and Clara had one diseased molar removed and both bears showed signs of hypertension and so they will likely be started on long term medication for their high blood pressure after the team has consulted with cardiology specialists. These thorough and detailed health checks, procedures and medications are only possible for these bears due to kind donations from supporters just like you.
The most recent arrival at the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre was Cotton Blossom
who was the last remaining bear held captive in Gia Lai province on the
border with Cambodia.
“With a rescue, you never really know what to expect", said Animals Asia’s
Vietnam Director, Tuan Bendixsen. “Fortunately, we found Cotton Blossom to
be a very calm bear, weighing around 120kg. She responded well to the sweet
treats she was offered. Even the sound of the angle grinder cutting open her
cage door didn’t distract her. And she voluntarily entered the transport
cage to begin the long journey to her new home.”
The rescue sent the team on a 2,200km round trip and Cotton Blossom’s
journey took the better part of four days, from the south of Vietnam, to
Animals Asia’s sanctuary in Tam Dao National Park, an hour north of Hanoi.
On the journey, taking place during the height of summer, the team stopped
to cool Cotton Blossom off with showers, fruit and banana leaves which were
of particular interest to her. All of these rescues were made possible with
the support of the conservation campaign Explorers Against Extinction, and
this rescue was emblematic of the lengths the team would go to, to save
bears who have had their lives stolen.
“After quarantine she will be moved into a larger den, then once she feels
comfortable, she will finally have the chance to walk on the grass and feel
the sun on her face – for possibly the first time since she was a cub,” said
Tuan. “And after twenty long years of isolation in a cage, she will have the
freedom to make friends with some of the other nearly 200 bears we care for
at the sanctuary.”
These rescues remind us that every bear is an individual with their own
personality, stories and needs. The work you support takes us all, step by
step, closer to a world in which every animal is treated with the respect,
empathy and kindness they deserve. Every step along the way is important,
none more so than those first steps on grass after years of confinement.
There are six more cages that are now empty forever, and six more bears on
the path to rehabilitation because of people like you. Thank you.
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