Virginia McKenna, Founder Trustee of the Born Free Foundation, has sent a heartfelt plea to Vietnam’s Prime Minister asking him to allow 23 dying bears to be rescued from three bear bile farms in Halong Bay.

In November 2014, Animals Asia exposed horrific conditions at the farms where 49 bears where found to be severely malnourished. Since then a shocking 26 bears have died prompting Animals Asia to launch a campaign asking Vietnam’s Prime Minister to let the bears be rescued.

In the letter, which has been forwarded to the Prime Minister by Animals Asia’s Hanoi office, she writes:

“I implore the Vietnamese Government to make a genuine gesture of compassion and allow the remaining ill and malnourished animals to be taken to the Animals Asia Sanctuary at Tam Dao. I have had the privilege of visiting the sanctuary, of watching the expert and loving care given to the bears - some deeply traumatised and ill - and I felt nothing but gratitude that they had been given a chance to end their days in peace and contentment.

“Please do not let it be too late for these 23 innocent victims.”

To date nearly 100,000 people have added their names to Animals Asia’s letter to Vietnam’s prime minister, while stars such as Stephen Fry, Ricky Gervais, Olivia Newton-John, Ali MacGraw, Brian May, Matt Sorum and Peter Egan have all publicly backed the campaign.

If you have already signed the petition but would like to do more, then like Virginia McKenna you too can write directly to the Vietnamese Prime Minster Nguyen Tan Dung by email or post at the following address:

Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng - Văn phòng Chính phủ, Số 1 Hoàng Hoa Thám, Ngọc Hà, Ba Đình, Hà Nội, Việt Nam

Alternatively, you can write more quickly and easily to the Vietnamese ambassador in your country. A complete list of addresses can be found here.

Animals Asia founder and CEO, Jill Robinson MBE said:

“We’re overwhelmed by this message from the heart by Virginia and with the fantastic support this campaign has received. Our grateful thanks to the thousands of people who, like Virginia, have voiced their concern with Vietnam’s prime minister imploring him to free the Halong Bay bears.

“What’s vitally important now is keeping the momentum going. We have to ensure that our voice doesn’t disappear over the coming weeks as Lunar New Year approaches. We can’t let this just go away. After the tragic deaths of half the bears in the region, we can’t let them die in vain.

“If you would like to write directly to the prime minister or to the Vietnamese ambassador in your country, I only ask that you do so formally and respectfully as Virginia has done.”

Vietnamese embassies to selected countries:

• C/O His Excellency Mr Nguyen Van Thao, The Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. 12-14 Victoria Road, London, England, W8 5RD

• C/O His Excellency Mr Luong Thanh Nghi, The Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Australia. 6 Timbarra Crescent, O'Malley, ACT, 2606, Canberra, Australia

• C/O His Excellency Mr Pham Quang Vinh, The Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the United States of America. 1233 20th St NW, Suite 400 - Washington, DC 20036

Virginia McKenna picture by Andy Gotts

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