An Animals Asia team will rush to a tourist resort in Vietnam to rescue four moon bears facing abandonment and falling prey to the bear bile industry.

Animals Asia has been given permission to rescue four bears in desperate need of rescue after the tourist resort which owns them decided to close their bear enclosure

Without immediate intervention, it is feared the bears could be transferred to bear bile farms or circuses where they would face years of cruelty and exploitation.

Animals Asia Vietnam Director Tuan Bendixsen said:

“We know very little about these bears, but we know they urgently need our help. If we can’t come to their aid now, they could end up suffering bile extraction on farms, being forced to perform in circuses, or simply being allowed to starve to death.

“To stop that threat, we have put together an emergency rescue plan to rush them back to our sanctuary where they can be assured a bright future with the best possible care and highest welfare available in the country.”

The rescue team will arrive at the resort, near international tourism hotspot Nha Trang, on Tuesday morning. The bears will then be transported around 1,400 kilometres by road to Animals Asia’s award-winning bear rescue centre in Vinh Phuc province.

They are expected to arrive on Friday 28 June.

It is not clear how long the four bears of unknown gender have been kept at the resort, nor what kind of management and care they have been subjected to. But it is clear that the resort no longer sees a financial future in them and that all four risk becoming victims of the bear bile or wildlife tourism industries.  

Animals Asia Founder and CEO, Jill Robinson MBE said:

“We can’t allow these bears to fall into more callous hands. The thought of them being sent to bear bile farms, circuses or allowed to starve to death is too much to bear and we will never let that happen.

“These four bears have been exploited enough. Now they deserve their time in sanctuary so that their needs can finally come first.”

The rescue is expected to begin at 9am on Tuesday 25 June and supporters can follow it every step of the way on Animals Asia’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram platforms.

Animals Asia was the first charity to address the issue of bear bile farming in Vietnam having worked in the country since 1999. 

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