Today, international animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS rescued the two Asiatic black bears from their tiny metal cages and brought them to BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh, built by the organisation in 2017.

May and Binh Yen were the last bile bears on a farm in Ninh Binh province. With their rescue, the animal welfare organisation was able to end the keeping of bile bears in the entire province. Unfortunately, in other provinces of Vietnam around 1,000 bears are still suffering on bear farms, and humans continue to illegally extract their bile using cruel methods.

May and Binh Yen are currently in the quarantine station at BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh where they will receive medical care from FOUR PAWS veterinarians and animal carers. A lifetime of abuse as bile bears have left physical scars on them.

Over the coming weeks, May and Binh Yen will receive intensive medical care from the FOUR PAWS veterinarians. The team is hoping that after quarantine and a period of familiarisation with the bear house, both bears will be able to move into their large, newly built outdoor enclosure in about five weeks.

The suffering of bile bears in Vietnam

Vietnam is one of the few countries in Asia that has taken legal action against the keeping of bile bears. However, it is imperative that existing laws are implemented consistently. 
 

The bear bile business is flourishing despite alternatives

Bear bile has been used as a remedy for eye infections, bruises, indigestion and other conditions in traditional Chinese medicine for several thousand years.

Despite the fact that better herbal and synthetic alternatives are available, bear bile is still a sought-after product in many Asian countries. The possession, sale and consumption of bear bile in Vietnam has been banned since 2005, however illegal trade in bear bile still takes place on Vietnam’s streets, in traditional Chinese medicine shops, on bile bear farms as well as in the Internet.

Joint mission against animal cruelty

In 2005, the Vietnamese government launched a campaign to phase out bear farming. All captive bears were registered and microchipped as part of an effort to ensure that no new bears entered the farms.

Bile bears, who remain the property of the state, were to be looked after by the farmers until their transfer to a local sanctuary or natural death. Bear farmers were also required to sign a declaration to never again extract bile. In 2017, the Vietnamese government also issued a statement on its intent to end bear farming and begin rescuing bears. FOUR PAWS is supporting the efforts of the government with the launch of an international campaign and by conducting rescue missions.  

FOUR PAWS urges people to sign its petition to encourage the Vietnamese government to do whatever it takes to put an end to bear farming: saddestbears.com/Vietnam.

FOUR PAWS aims to hand over the signatures of one million people to the Vietnamese government. More than 750,000 signatures have already been collected.

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