On June 25, Animals Asia, a foundation devoted to ending bear bile farming and improving the welfare of animals across Asia, received three bears voluntarily handed over by a household that has practiced bear farming for many years in Lang Son city of the northeastern border province of Lang Son. The animals were then brought to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre, based in northern Vinh Phuc province. This has turned Lang Son into the 40th provincial-level locality in Vietnam to be free of bear bile farming. According to the Education for Nature - Vietnam (ENV), the number of bears in captivity in the country declined from 4,300 in 2005 to 432 in December last year (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
The Lang Son sub-department for forest protection said the three bears, over 20 years old, have been caged since 2000 and were first attached with microchips in 2005. According to Animals Asia, over 20,000 bears are held in captivity on farms in Asia to have bile extracted from their gall bladders on a regular basis, for profit. Despite the availability of inexpensive and effective herbal and synthetic alternatives – and the dangers of consuming bile from sick bears – bile farming continues. Demand for bear bile products comes mainly from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan. The products are also found in Australia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, the US, and Canada (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
The owner of the three bears used to keep five Asian black bears, but two already died, and the household decided to hand over the remainders to Animals Asia after receiving encouragement from the Lang Son sub-department for forest protection and the Education for Nature - Vietnam (ENV). Earlier this year, ENV released a new short film calling for an end to bear bile farming which tells the story from a captive bear’s perspective. The film is part of a long-term project between ENV and Four Paws International, World Animal Protection and the Government of Vietnam to put an end to bear farming and promote protection of wild bears (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
The three bears, two females and one male weighing about 150kg, were named ‘Hy vong’ (Hope), ‘Tuong lai’ (Future), and ‘Vui’ (Joy) since their lives are about to change forever – they now have a future full of joy, freedom, and hope. They will join hundreds of other rescued bears at the sanctuary in Vinh Phuc province. ENV Deputy Director Nguyen Thi Phuong Dung said because of high demand, bear bile farming used to be a profitable business for many bear owners, but since more and more people turn their back on bear bile, more owners have voluntarily sent their bears to rescue centres (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
The rescue of the last three captive bears in Lang Son province is viewed as a milestone in efforts by relevant agencies and wildlife conservation organisations to put an end to bear bile farming in Vietnam. In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the World Wildlife Day (March 3), ENV Deputy Director Bui Thi Ha said the detection and settlement of wildlife crimes in Vietnam have recoded strides over the last five years, but there remain a number of challenges to the fight against wildlife crimes. In 2020, ENV recorded 2,907 wildlife-related violation cases, almost doubling the figure in 2019, including 1,956 advertising cases, 863 caging cases, and 98 transportation ones (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
As the bears were kept at the end of the house, the rescue team have to anaesthetise the animals to bring them out. ENV Deputy Director Bui Thi Ha noted although the legal system on the conservation and sustainable development of wild animals has been gradually completed, wildlife-related violations remain complex in some localities, posing higher extinction risks to many wild species in the nature and negatively affecting ecological balance, human health, and Vietnam’s prestige in the world. In 2020, ENV recorded 2,907 wildlife-related violation cases, almost doubling the figure in 2019. Monkeys, bears, tigers, elephants, and pangolins are among the species involved in violations (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
After the bears are taken out of the cages, they have their health examined by doctors before being transported to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre in Vinh Phuc province. According to ENV, the discovery of infringements and seizure of prohibited goods related to wild animals is an initial success, but it is only useful when helping with the investigation into trafficking rings and ringleaders. Between 2015 and 2020, the number of uncovered and handled criminal cases related to wildlife rose 44 percent, showing an improvement in the settlement of wildlife crimes since the 2015 Penal Code, revised and supplemented in 2017, took effect on January 1, 2018 (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Blood and fur samples of the bears will be tested and analysed when they arrive at the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre. The health examination and sample collection process is carried out by veterinarian Shaun Thomson, four other assistant veterinarians, and the rescue team from the bear rescue centre. According to Deputy Director of the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Agency Nguyen Xuan Dung, Vietnam has developed and enforced a number of programmes and action plans on the urgent conservation of endangered species such as tigers, elephants, primates, and turtles. The country is now home to 173 wildlife conservation zones, comprising 33 national parks, 66 nature reserves, 18 species and biotope reserves, and 56 landscape protection zones (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
After the rescue, the three bears will be quarantined for 30 days while having their health checked and diseases and injuries cured before they are released into semi-natural spaces. In its report released on June 18, the People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature) said the illicit wildlife trade has not declined in Vietnam despite efforts by the government and partners in combating this endemic problem. Several wildlife markets are still open and even selling endangered and protected species. Ivory trading is still prevalent in many cities and provinces. Besides, wildlife farming is not strictly controlled as required and potentially posing many risks of infectious diseases (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Including the three bears saved in Lang Son, the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre is currently home to 189 bears which are receiving the best healthcare in a natural living environment. According to the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Agency, the country has imposed tougher measures against violators of wildlife and biodiversity conservation rules. Wildlife-related crimes are considered serious, with convicted criminals now facing higher penalties and longer prison sentences in accordance with amendments to the 2015 Penal Code (revised in 2017). Violators may face up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to 15 billion VND (over 650,000 USD), with penalties rising in line with the quantity of the animals trafficked (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
The bears have their health carefully examined before they are sent to the bear rescue centre in Vinh Phuc province. In response to an appeal for stricter regulations on wildlife trade from nature conservation organisations to prevent future pandemics, on July 23, 2020, the Prime Minister issued Directive 29/CT-TTg on urgent measures to tighten wildlife management. Between 2015 and 2020, about 73 percent of wildlife trafficking cases were brought to trial. The 2015 Penal Code resulted in an increase in average prison sentences for wildlife crime in subsequent years, to 5.29 years in 2018 and 4.49 years in the first half of 2020 compared to just 1.25 years in 2017 (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Ten days ago, Animals Asia also received four Asian black bears from the Hanoi-based Central Circus. Vietnam has launched long-term and consistent efforts to strengthen law enforcement to protect wildlife and biodiversity and improve the livelihoods of people affected by biodiversity degradation. Wildlife-related crimes are considered serious, with convicted criminals now facing higher penalties and longer prison sentences in accordance with the revised 2015 Penal Code. In July last year, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued Directive No 29 on urgent measures to restrict wildlife trade and consumption, banning the importation of live wild animals and wildlife products, strictly eliminating wildlife markets, and prohibiting the hunting, transporting, slaughtering, selling, buying, storing, consuming, or advertising of wildlife, including online sales (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Since the beginning of 2021, the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre, based in the northern province of Vinh Phuc, has taken eight Asian black bears into its care. Vietnam is among the signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the 1989 Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The country has also stepped up bilateral and multilateral cooperation on wildlife conservation, for example signing an agreement with South Africa in 2012 to put an end to the illegal trade of rhinoceros horn (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Animals Asia signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with the Vietnam Administration of Forestry to work to shut down all the remaining bear bile farms nationwide and send 800 bears to rescue establishments during the period from 2017 to 2022. The Vietnam Environment Administration under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment recently announced that 21 organisations and individuals with outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation in the 2010 - 2020 period will be honoured. According to the sixth national report on biological diversity, Vietnam is currently home to 51,400 species of fauna and flora, including about 7,500 strains of microorganisms, 20,000 flora species, 10,900 terrestrial animal species, and 2,000 invertebrate and freshwater fish species (Photo: VietnamPlus) VNA
