Happy #moonbearmonday everyone!

Meet Thao, a gloriously handsome moon bear from our Vietnam sanctuary.

Rescued as a cub in 2011, Thao had been ripped from his mother, who was most likely killed by poachers in the process.

He arrived a lonely, but strikingly charming young bear, fondly remembered for being so excited when first moved to a den that he climbed up some logs – and couldn’t work out how to get down again.

Soon Thao – whose name means “generous” in Vietnamese – had a new family around him, a boisterous group of six fellow juveniles.

Their first meeting couldn’t have gone any better with Thao the centre of attention. He revelled in the chance to play, the other bears taking it in turns to wrestle him. By the end of that first memorable day Thao was completely exhausted, but had a little more understanding of what family meant.

Pham Thi Hao, Bear Team leader of houses 1 and 2 said:

"Thao is a really fast eater. He is always the first one to dash out into the enclosure to forage. He likes climbing to the top of all the structures in the enclosure to get every last bit of yummy food that others may have missed. He is especially keen on fresh tree leaves. His best friend is Thomas. He and Thomas play with each other the whole day – except when it’s time to eat or sleep."