BEARS IN VIETNAM NEED YOUR HELP!

Animals Asia has been working in Vietnam on the issue of bear farming for 8 long years.  Whilst bear farming has been illegal since 1999, little action has been taken and sadly the numbers of bears imprisoned on farms has dramatically increased. However as of 2005, the Vietnamese Government has made a firm commitment to phase out bear farming and on 16 November 2005, Animals Asia signed a formal Agreement to rescue 200 farmed bears in Hanoi.

(c) Animals Asia
3 legged bear - typical of many awaiting rescue

In order to begin the “Vietnam Bear Rescue” they need your help! Bears who have lived virtually their whole lives in barren, rusting cages will soon be taking their first steps to freedom. Most of these caged Moon Bears were brutally trapped in the wild by people who openly flouted the new ruling and seized the opportunity of promoting bear bile as a new “miracle cure”. The majority of bears are missing at least one limb, whilst their gall bladders are severely damaged from being jabbed with non-sterile needles to extract their bile. Coupled with the mental stress from years of imprisonment, their lives seemed hopeless.............. until now.

Now, 200 bears will have a new chance at life. An opportunity of seeing a world they had long forgotten.