The 200 kg female bear, named Sky, is now in safe at Vietnam’s largest bear sanctuary in Tam Dao town, Vinh Phuc province. She is the 199th bear to be rescued from localities across the country and will be cared for in Tam Dao bear sanctuary for the rest of her life.
The rescue lasted for almost 3 hours as veterinarians decided to give Sky a dose of anesthetic before transferring her on a pre-loaded transport cage for the 250km trip to Tam Dao.
According to the Animals Asia team, Sky, who was kept in a local farm since she was a cub, is quite obese with damaged teeth, which may be due to an improper diet, as well as having problems with her skin.
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Veterinarians check Sky’s health condition before transferring her to a truck prepared for the 250km trip to Tam Dao. (Photo courtesy to Animals Asia)
In early September, the Forest Protection Department (FPD), under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, issued an official request for the rescue of Sky, as her owner had decided to voluntarily hand her over to the authorities concerned for better care.
As soon as learning the information, Animals Asia carried out the necessary procedures with the MARD’s department and the Lao Cai provincial FPD, as well as working with the host family to plan the rescue.
The owner also contacted and visited the bear rescue centre, witnessing its operation and the care of the bears there before deciding to hand over Sky to the centre.
Sky arrived at the Tam Dao centre late Wednesday, where she will experience 45 days of isolated extensive care before being grouped and integrated into the semi-natural areas in the sanctuary. Currently, Tam Dao centre is providing care for 179 bears in its semi-natural bear farms.
Animals Asia said that, after the rescue of Sky, there are still six captive bears in Lao Cai, including four bears being kept in private farms and two others that are being taken care of by the Hoang Lien rescue and conservation centre.
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Sky is now in safe in Tam Dao bear sanctuary and will receive care there for the rest of her life. (Photo courtesy to Animals Asia)
A month ago, the organisation successfully rescued five bears in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang. With the case of Sky, Animals Asia has successfully rescued 199 black and sun bears in Vietnam. Since 1998, the foundation has helped to rescue over 600 bears in Vietnam and China.
According to the Vietnam FPD, there are nearly 800 bears being kept in private farms, while wild bears number just a few hundred individuals.
