The welfare of captive bears in Vietnam is set for a boost with staff from zoos and rescues centres invited to learn more about their care.

Invitations to Advancing Bear Care 2015 have been sent to every official facility holding captive bears in the country to attend the event between October 29 to November 1. The event will be hosted by animal welfare charities Animals Asia and The Bear Care Group.

Over 200 bears are believed to be held in rescue centres and zoos throughout Vietnam. For the most part, these facilities are seriously underfunded and lacking in basic principles of animal welfare. However cost-effective steps can be taken to improve the animals’ quality of life.

Animals Asia’s Animal Welfare Director Dave Neale said:

“Due to chronic funding shortages and lack of training, many of the facilities in Vietnam fail to meet the basic welfare needs of the bears under their care. While we can’t assist in finding the resources necessary to give these bears the large enclosures and open spaces they deserve, we can help the staff at these facilities gain the knowledge to make the most of what they have at their disposal.

“As an organisation, we’d rather these majestic animals weren’t kept in captive facilities, but as long as there are bears whose lives we can help improve, we will never pass up the opportunity.”

The schedule of workshops and lectures will see participants learn and share experiences related to behaviour-based husbandry, environmental enrichment, operant conditioning and veterinary care.

Animals Asia’s Vietnam Bear and Vet Team Director Annemarie Weegenaar said:

“We’re delighted to have experts from the Advancing Bear Care Group come to Vietnam to share their knowledge and at the same time for us to share our experience of providing first class care for the bears at our sanctuary. There is a lot that can be done to improve the lives of these animals without large budgets, and this workshop is focussed on exactly that.”

Animals Asia cares for over 130 bears at its Vietnam sanctuary – each one rescued from the bear bile industry.  In Vietnam, approximately 1,200 bears are currently held on bear bile farms around the country. The animals are housed in appalling conditions so that their bile can be painfully extracted for use in traditional medicine.

In total Animals Asia has rescued more than 500 bears from the illegal wildlife trade and bear bile industries in Vietnam and China.

The Bear Care Group is a non-profit group dedicated to organising bear husbandry conferences, programs, publications and resources for bear caregivers at sanctuaries, rehabilitation facilities and zoos.

Registration for the Advancing Bear Care 2015 weekend is now open. See the Bear Care Group website for more details.

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