Goldie, Coco, Yogi and Bern, the newest residents of our Vietnam sanctuary, are half way through their quarantine period and settling in well.

The three bears arrived at the sanctuary following rescues from the furthest corners of Vietnam and after, in the case of the older bears Coco, Yogi and Bern – many years in cages.

Sun bear cub Goldie has been enjoying lots of love from staff doing everything they can to help him forget the traumatic past which left him traumatised and jumpy.

The den where he is spending quarantine has been stocked with toys and enrichment items such as balls, hammocks, ladders, comfy straw and puzzle feeders.

Animals Asia Bear Manager Sarah Dempsey said:

“Goldie is doing great. He’s very playful and loves splashing in his little pool and playing with his tyre swing or hessian sacks. He is inquisitive but is quick to give a little roar at new things that startle him, which is very typical of a sun bear.”

As a cub, Goldie is still being fed milk, but his diet also has more variety than ever before. Carers note that Goldie is keen on watermelon and pineapple, but like many youngsters he’s yet to come round to liking vegetables

Meanwhile older Coco, Yogi and Bern are seeing out their quarantine in the adult area. Unfortunately quarantine regulations and the desire to keep the bears rested and settled has meant that, so far, we haven’t been able to get pictures to share.

However, following their rescue from the bear bile farms in the south by Animals Asia - Coco, Yogi and Bern are being closely monitored and are being continuously stimulated with enrichment items and foods. While they’ll have to wait to enjoy spacious dens and open enclosures, the care they are receiving and their new diet means that, by now, they’ll have worked out that their life has taken a turn for the better.

Part of their rehabilitation is removing the pain they have been living with. Yogi has already had dental surgery due to the horrendous condition of his teeth. What remained of his four canines was removed along with six other badly rotten and infected teeth by Animals Asia vets. Fortunately, this long-suffering moon bear was able to keep his molars so can still enjoy all the new food coming his way as he recovers.

Using the sanctuary ultrasound equipment, vets were relieved to find that damage to Yogi’s gallbladder is likely to be less severe than originally feared.

However, the team did find a number of issues that will require ongoing attention including arthritic joints and minor eye defects.

Bern has also received a health check since arriving at his new home. Extensive scarring was discovered on his abdominal skin and an ultrasound revealed that the scars reach to the liver and gallbladder. It’s highly likely that these wounds are a result of frequent bile collection and the team will evaluate the condition of his liver and gallbladder using keyhole surgery in the near future.

Bern is proving himself to be an inquisitive bear who is interested in new things – and never more so than when trying to find out about his new neighbour – female moon bear Coco.

The queen of the quarantine area is a laid back bear often seen lying flat out on her back playing with her enrichment and browse as she patiently waits for another cooling shower.

With less than a month of their quarantine period left, Coco, Yogi  and Bern will soon move on to the next stage of their recovery, but the quarantine area itself is set to get a whole lot busier. In the next month, 38 bears are scheduled to spend time here as Quang Ninh province finally becomes completely bear bile farm free.

Animals Asia founder and CEO, Jill Robinson MBE said:

“These bears all seem to be doing really well and enjoying the enrichment that the team are providing for them. Quarantine is a vital step for any new bear which protects the sanctuary population from disease. We can’t wait to move these bears on to the next stage and eventually see them happily playing outside in the natural open environment they deserve.”

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