During the quiet festive period of 2024, Animals Asia was alerted to the plight of an adult moon bear who desperately needed our help.

It was in the Vietnamese province of Lao Cai, which borders China, that local residents discovered a bear who was being held illegally as a pet. 

The concerned residents immediately reported it to the Forest Protection Department (FPD), the government department responsible for protecting wildlife and their habitat.

Once the FPD had confiscated Christmas from his owner, they transported him to the University of Natural Sciences in Hanoi where he was formally identified as an Asiatic black bear. 

The Asiatic black bear, also known as a moon bear because of the moon crescent-shaped markings on their chests, is a protected species under Vietnamese law and so, the FPD and Hanoi police are now able to proceed with prosecuting the owner for illegally keeping a protected species as a pet. 

As Animals Asia has a longstanding relationship with the Lao Cai FPD, we were asked if we could take Christmas in at our sanctuary in Tam Dao. Despite it being late at night, our vet and care team jumped into action to welcome Christmas home.

On arrival, our rescue team broke Christmas out of the cage he’d been in since his owner bought him in 2016. We believe that he was only three years old at the time he was incarcerated - Christmas has spent eight years alone, locked inside a rusting cage. 

After a quick health check by our resident vets, Christmas was moved to a temporary cage in our quarantine area where he’ll spend around 30 days. 

During this essential part of a bears’ introduction to sanctuary, his carers will build up his strength, work to gain his trust, and gently ease him into his new life.

As Christmas is a relatively young bear of around 12 years old, we hope he can spend many more festive periods with us and his new friends, and enjoy many years of happiness at our sanctuary.

Find out about our Tam Dao sanctuary where Christmas now lives.

What is quarantine?
Watch Sarah van Herpt, Animals Asia’sVeterinary and Behavioural Husbandry Services Director explain about this essential and fascinating part of a bear’s rehabilitation. 

Follow Christmas’ journey to freedom on Animals Asia’s Facebook page. 

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