World Animal Protection, Four Paws and Education for Nature Vietnam came together with local authorities to rescue an illegally captive Asiatic black bear named Cam, from a bear bile farm in Hai Phong, Vietnam. At these farms the bears suffer both psychologically and physically, forced to live in small cramped cages not much larger than a telephone booth.
Cam, only six years old, was initially discovered during a joint routine monitoring trip to the bear farms in the Hai Phong province in coalition with local authorities on April 28th. Upon his discovery, the team negotiated Cam’s release with the local authorities and then transferred him onto their truck, where he was driven to the sanctuary. He is now settling into his new surroundings where he will live a life free of cruelty and suffering.
Barbara van Genne at FOUR PAWS International said:
"We are thrilled that bear Cam will be joining the 41 other rescued bears at our sanctuary in Ninh Binh. Bear bile farming is extremely cruel and bears rescued from these farms are often psychologically scarred. But this is one more bear that can live out the rest of his life in peace, free from the pain and suffering previously inflicted on him."
Over the last 15 years, the World Animal Protection and other partnering NGO’s have worked with the government to protect the small population of bears remaining in the wild. Overall their collective efforts have resulted in a 91% reduction in the number of bile bears on farms in Vietnam, from a staggering figure of 4,300 in 2005 to only 369 today.