The new sanctuary, which covers 12.7 hectares, is invested by the non-governmental organisation Animals Asia and is scheduled for completion in 2026, featuring 12 bear houses and 12 seminatural zones.
It will also include administrative buildings, a veterinary hospital and various zones for bear food preparation, education, and waste treatment along with other infrastructure.
The centre will be home to over 300 bears rescued from private farming facilities and illegal trading, aiming to put an end to bear bile farming by late 2026.
Animals Asia has provided 10.5 million USD in non-refundable aid for this effort.
At a ceremony to introduce the project on May 27, Bach Ma National Park Director Nguyen Vu Linh said he expects the new sanctuary to help end bear bile farming in Vietnam shortly and provide a better life for rescued bears.
He added that the centre will also create jobs for residents while Bach Ma will have another destination to raise public awareness on the need to protect wild animals and bears in particular.
Animals Asia already signed a cooperation agreement with the Vietnam Administration of Forestry to close all remaining bear farms in Vietnam and transfer all the bears to rescue facilities.
