Eight Asiatic black bears have successfully been rescued by animal welfare charity Animals Asia from seven bile farms in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam.

A rescue team from the Non Government Organisation (NGO) visited the farms over the last two days to free the “moon bears” – so-called because of the golden half-moon shaped crescent on their chest.

The bears – named Autumn, Gloria, Popeye, Victoria, Sarah, Sindy, Cliff and Bong Bong – had between them spent decades locked inside tiny, rusty cages. It is believed each one had been subjected to painful bile extraction for use in traditional medicine.

The rescue is one of many carried out this year by Animals Asia in Quang Ninh. This latest mission means only one bear now remains captive in the province.

The rescues follow a decree from Vietnam’s Prime Minister that the province must end bear bile farming, giving Animals Asia the go-ahead to rescue the bears. It followed a campaign from Animals Asia that was supported by celebrities, diplomats and thousands of animal lovers across the world.

All eight bears have been taken to Animals Asia’s bear rescue centre, based at Tam Dao national park. The sanctuary provides a permanent home for 139 bears, where they are given space to roam in special enclosures. The centre also provides: 

• Dedicated vets, nurses and bear managers aid bears’ recovery following bile extractions, poor care and years in cages.
• Qualified bear workers who provide a balanced diet and ensure the bears get the right food and nutrients at the right time
• Environmental features such as hammocks and climbing frames to encourage bears to exercise and forage for food as they would in the wild
• Pools for bears to swim and play in
• A hospital wing for regular health checks and assessment and surgery.

All eight bears now begin a 45-day quarantine period before they can be gradually integrated with 139 bears previously rescued from the bile trade.

Tuan Bendixsen, Animals Asia Vietnam Director, described the atmosphere on the rescue as “hugely positive”. He said:

“On the one hand it’s distressing to see the conditions these bears have been kept in, but everyone is so happy to be able to free them. And that positive feeling grows stronger with each rescue, because we now have just one remaining bear in Quang Ninh province. In terms of rescuing that bear, it’s not a question of if, but when.

“The authorities are confident that it will happen, and we are determined to finish the job. It has set a precedent – the fact we are one step away from ending bile farming in the province shows how it can be ended across Vietnam. The dark past of these bears is over, but a brighter future for them, and indeed all bears in Vietnam, surely awaits.”

Among the bears rescued was Gloria, who was taken captive as a cub in 2000, weighing just 3.5 kilos. She has spent the years since in a barred cell. Thanks to Animals Asia’s rescue, this week was the first time in 15 years Gloria has seen the sun.

Tuan said:

“Gloria’s owner is a retired school teacher and she was genuinely sad to see her go, shedding real tears. She said she had bonded with the bear and ‘rarely’ extracted bile. This is Vietnam's bear bile industry – ‘mom and pop’ operations who don’t consider the damage to the bears. We hope Mrs Xuan can one day visit a happier Gloria at our sanctuary and realise what this poor bear had been missing all these years.”

Animals Asia has rescued more than 550 bears from the bear bile trade in China and Vietnam. In China, where bear bile use remains legal, more than 10,000 caged bears remain facing daily bile extractions.

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