The bear received a medical examination by Four Paws Viet staff. (Photo courtesy of ENV) Thai Nguyen (VNA) - An Asiatic blackbear owned by Tran Van Trach in Thai Nguyen city of northern ThaiNguyen province has been safely transferred to Ninh Binh BearSanctuary.
Trach is the first bear owner in ThaiNguyen to voluntarily hand over his bear, marking a milestone in thejourney towards ending bear farming in the province.
Last May, he joined a tour of the sanctuary tosee what an appropriate home to bears should look like. This was part of ajoint effort by Four Paws Viet, an animal welfare organisation, Education forNature Vietnam (ENV) and Thai Nguyen province’s Department of Forest Rangers toconvince bear owners to give up their animals.
According to the latest data released by the VietnamForest Protection Department, as of July, 2018, Vietnam has only 780 bearsin captivity outside rescue centres.
According to ENV, Vietnam has 22 bearfarm-free provinces. The number of bears in captivity significantly decreasedbetween 2005 and 2017 from 4,300 to some 900.
Bears had been kept to extract their bile untilthe 1990s. Bear bile farming was outlawed in 1992 but owners were not forced togive up the bears they held, prolonging the harmful practice.-VNA
VNA
