Vietnam launch bear rescue centre
Updated on 10 April 2008
A new sanctuary for endangered bears abused by traffickers has been opened in Vietnam.
Thousands of the animals are farmed illegally for their bile which is used in traditional medicines.
The centre, near the capital of Hanoi, has capacity for over 100 bears and is the first of its kind in the country.
The first residents of Tam Dao National park are six endangered Asiatic black cubs and two adults smuggled either from neighbouring Laos or from southern Vietnam in the past seven months.
Tuan Bendixsen from the Animals Asia Foundation helped to get the refuge started.
He said: "The bears are hunted mainly for the bear bile trade. At the moment in Vietnam we have over 4,000 bears on bear farms. And although it is against the law to extract bear bile, it is against the law to advertise bear bile, even trading in any bear products. But of course it is still going on, and that's why the bears are in danger."
On illegal farms, keepers use ultrasound machines, catheters and medicinal pumps to extract valuable bile which is then sold to the medical profession.
Now the centre hopes to offer the bears a more natural environment, while educating the public on raising awareness of herbal alternatives to bear bile.
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