The last survivor of a failed circus - brave bear Bao Lam’s story is heartbreaking

Moon bear Bao Lam was bought alongside 11 other bears for a circus attraction in Vietnam. Their owner wanted them to dance - all but Bao Lam died.

Moon bear Bao Lam was rescued this week by animal welfare charity Animals Asia - but the good news is tempered with anger at the fate of 10 other bears who previously died.

In total - 11 bears were purchased between 2008 and 2009 by Dambri Resort in Lam Dong Province in Vietnam. The owners had a plan to set up a zoo and teach the bears to dance in a circus.

But when the plans changed - the bears were instead banished to a corner of the lush and spacious resort where they were caged in shocking conditions. Due to their lack of care they started dying, soon only Bao Lam was left.

Little is known about the wider plans for the zoo. It’s believed that other animals also died and others were transferred. It’s also not known how long Bao Lam has been alone.

Earlier this week - Dambri Resort handed over the last bear, most likely under pressure from the local Forestry Department.

It’s indicative of the lack of bear expertise at Dambri Resort that they had always believed Bao Lam to be male. Animals Asia vets were soon able to identify Bao Lam as female - also noting cracked teeth, a cataract and damage to her front legs that made walking difficult.

It’s likely that she has been caged since she was a cub - long before her sale to Dambri Resort.

Bao Lam is currently on the Animals Asia rescue truck headed for the Animals Asia sanctuary in Tam Dao national park - a four-day, 1,500 km journey which is expected to end Friday 5 August.

Animals Asia cares for almost 150 rescued bears in Vietnam and another 230 in China - the vast majority rescued from the bile industry. It’s not known at this point whether Bao Lam has ever suffered bile extraction.

Animals Asia Vietnam Director Tuan Bendixsen said:

“We have to believe that this is a story and an act of cruelty that belongs in the past. And we do believe that Vietnam is changing. We must believe that animal life is worth more now and that attitudes are changing fast.

“There can be no excuse for what happened to these animals and no excuse for the poor care of these bears except a lack of education. It is our privilege to rescue Bao Lam and to give her the life she deserves but we mourn those bears that died and the 1,200 bears still caged in Vietnam.

“But there is progress. The authorities are intent on cleaning up and removing this cruelty from Vietnam. Working with them, we are providing education on alternatives to bear bile and the importance of wider animal welfare - including advocating against animal performance and for better zoo conditions.

“Animal’s lives should be worth more than their monetary value. This is Vietnam’s natural heritage, these bears should not have been bought and sold on a whim. And they shouldn’t have died. Bao Lam has hung on for her rescuers and we arrived just in time.”