(Photo courtesy of Animals Asia )
Tay Ninh (VNA) - A female sun bear hasbeen rescued after 15 years in captivity in a border district of southwestern TayNinh province.
Despite the species usually being captured inVietnam to farm bile, the keeper of this 50kg bear claimed to be keeping her asa pet.
Animals Asia voluntarily rescued the creatureafter receiving tips from a local traditional medicine practitioner, during aprogramme aiming to grow and popularise herbal plants that could substitute forbear bile in traditional remedies.
Animals Asia said the keeper of the bear, whichwas named Aurora, was cooperative in transferring the bear into new hands.
“We don’t know much about Aurora or her history,but she is likely to be traumatised and depressed from her extreme isolation ina barren cage for what has likely been quite a few years,” said Animals Asia’sVietnam Director Tuan Bendixsen.
The Tay Ninh forest rangers unit said this isthe last sun bear remaining in captivity in the province.
The veterinary doctors concluded that, despitesome non-acute tooth and joint problems, the bear was fit enough to make a1,500km journey to the Vietnam BearRescue Centre in Tam Dao National Park in northern Vietnam, where it isexpected to join the community of other rescued sun bears there.
It is reported that there are 800 bears beingkept in farms across the country while the wild population has dwindled to afew hundred.
Animals Asia has conducted four rescues so farthis year, bringing eight bears to the northern sanctuary. It is working withthe Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and forestry agencies to freeall captive bears by 2022.-VNA
VNA