Asiatic black bear in rescue cage with red fire host hammock behind and bear carer in blue scrubs feeding bear from a long-handled spoon.

Bears | Rescues | Vietnam

A New Frontier – moon bear Apollo lands at our new sanctuary

Following the recent rescue of Buzz and Armstrong, Apollo is the latest moon bear to land in our new sanctuary in Bach Ma.

Apollo was rescued from the province of Hai Duong in Vietnam and was the last bear on the last bile farm in this area of Vietnam.

Animals Asia is working with the Vietnamese government to negotiate the release and rescue of all bears on the remaining bear bile farms across the country. This partnership facilitates farmed bears being moved to our Bach Ma Bear Rescue Centre to live out their lives in comfort and freedom.

Silhouette of Asiatic black bear standing facing to the right, in raised cage with blocks under and to the front.
Orange transport cage inside a small truck with Asiatic black bear inside while person in black puts green banana leaf through the bars for the bear. Blue buckets and more leaves on the truck floor.
Asiatic black bear in quarantine cage eating from paw, with part of red firehose hammock to the front right and food treats to the left.

The rehabilitation journey

We are so happy to welcome Apollo to her new home – having lived in isolation for years, to suddenly taking a 740km trip and being placed in a new environment with other bears nearby, she was understandably unsettled for a few days.

While Apollo is in quarantine, she is being closely monitored by our vet and bear management team and while they get to know each other, Apollo is also learning to trust that they are here to help her.

The next step for Apollo will be moving from quarantine into her own den, then she will slowly be introduced to other bears before exploring the lush outdoor space of the sanctuary’s grassy enclosures. For now, Apollo is enjoying enrichment such as toys and nourishing, tasty food while she gets used to her new home.

To follow Apollo’s journey follow @animalsasia on social media and stay tuned for updates.

Female in blue scrubs hosing down an Asiatic black bear in a red quarantine cage, through the front bars of the cage.