Bear Thi

Feb 2022

Ninh Binh

Rescue of 9 Bile Bears

From life behind bars to paradise: Almost two decades in captivity are over

3/30/2022

In February, our experienced team undertook the biggest bile bear rescue mission to date. Nine Asiatic black bears have been kept on three different farms in Binh Duong province, suffering terribly from the cruel process of bile extraction. In tiny cages, only surrounded by metal bars and barely enough space to move, they have been kept far away from their natural needs.

A 42-hour journey to freedom

Due to the pandemic, the rescue mission had been delayed, but finally, on February, 10th our team started their journey, which took several days. The team rescued six bears from two farms on the first day – Danh, Thi, Teo, Tai, Tin and Khoi. The females Danh and Thi were found in poor condition, suffering from common bile bear health issues, like gastritis, gallstones and kidney problems. At BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh they will be under close surveillance and get intensive care. On the next day, when arriving at the third farm, the team was shocked: The bears Nui, Vui and An have lost significant weight since the team visited last year. All the bears received their initial vet checks and then were provided with fruits, water, fresh showers and straw, before the journey to their new life began. Fortunately, all the bears arrived safely at the sanctuary, where they could begin exploring their species-appropriate surroundings.

Vui

Vui


Emaciated when she was found, Vui is now happily trying out new foods. She loves anything sweet and she enjoys her post-meal naps.   

Nui

Nui


When she was found, Nui only weighed 110 pounds. Now she is doing well. Always hungry, she gets excited when it's feeding time. The clever girl was the first bear to manage to open a coconut. 

An

An


An is a very opinionated bear and lets the caretakers know when she’s not happy. Despite only having three legs, she is doing very well and is enjoying getting three regular meals a day. She is excellent at destroying her enrichment, particularly banana tree trunks.

Teo

Teo


Despite not having any dental issues, Teo doesn't eat any whole vegetables, so his caretakers blend them for him. However, he eats all of them in liquid form and he loves big ice blocks.

Tai

Tai


Tai is an easy-going and friendly bear. When it comes to feeding time, he gets very excited, which he expresses by splashing his paw in his water bowl – keeping his keepers busy!

Tin

Tin


Tin is the most playful of the bears – even on his first morning in the sanctuary, after the 42-hour journey, he was rolling around and playing with his bedding right away. Now he enjoys keeping himself occupied by playing with empty coconuts, kong toys, or hessian bags.

Khoi

Khoi


Like Teo, Khoi only eats his food in liquid form. He loves peanut butter and he also enjoys big fruit ice blocks, dog food, and eggs.

Danh

Danh


Danh is the best nest maker out of all the bears! When it comes to food, the female bear is a little more adventurous than Thi and, besides dog food, chicken and pumpkin, she recently started to eat watermelon too.

Thi

Thi


Thi was rescued from a private home. Although she was the most obese bear rescued, Thi is the fussiest eater: She only eats boiled chicken and raw pumpkin! The sensitive bear doesn't see very well, but like the others, she now gets the best care.

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Update March 2022 

Nui, Vui & An

All three bears are doing really well, enjoying lots of enrichment in their enclosures, like hammocks. Fortunately, Nui, Vui, and An have gained a couple of pounds already – after being starved in the past, they get very excited about food. They eat all their vegetables and they love coconuts!

Danh & Thi

As Danh and Thi have shown to be very sensitive bears, the caretakers have decided to put them together with fewer and older bears, so that they can enjoy some more peacefulness and quietness. After they got accustomed to their new surroundings, Danh and Thi have also been introduced to each other and are now starting to enjoy each other's company. 

Teo, Tai, Tin and Khoi

Apart from several different health issues and marks of their past, like signs of stereotypical behavior, the bears are doing well, enjoying lots of enrichment and receiving intensive and loving care according to their needs.

Bear Danh

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