Caretaker interacting with a bear inside a red metal transport cage, using a tube to feed or administer care.

Bears | Vietnam

Animals Asia rescues eight bears in first half of 2025

The end of bear bile farming in Vietnam is in sight

It’s been a remarkable start to the year for Animals Asia’s rescue team, as eight moon bears have taken their first steps to freedom at our sanctuaries in Vietnam.

Bud, Bloom and Sprout – 3 April

Spring began with a breakthrough in Phung Thuong – a village once infamous for bear bile farming and still home to many caged bears. After months of patient dialogue, two local farmers agreed to hand over three moon bears to Animals Asia.

Although bear bile farming is now illegal in Vietnam, it isn’t illegal to keep bears as ‘pets’. This is why a huge portion of our work is centred around building relationships with local people and encouraging them to hand their bears over to us.

Founder and CEO Jill Robinson joined the team for this emotional rescue, later sharing her reflections in her blog. The bears, now named Bud, Bloom and Sprout, were transported to sanctuary, where they can finally enjoy safety after decades in captivity.

Woman with long blonde hair crouching beside a red cage containing an Asiatic black bear at a rescue facility.
Person feeding an Asiatic black bear through the bars of a red cage during a rescue or veterinary procedure.
Red cage containing an Asiatic black bear being loaded onto a truck by rescue workers, covered with green leaves for comfort.
Asiatic black bear inside a red transport cage with rescue workers in blue uniforms from Animals Asia nearby.

Nova and Lyra – 18 April

Just two weeks later, our work with Yen Bai authorities paid off when another farmer agreed to release his bears into our care. In a dark, cobweb-draped room, two adult moon bears who we named Nova and Lyra had spent over 21 years in tiny, cramped cages.

Both were severely underweight and in poor health, but their names, meaning ‘light’, mark the beginning of a brighter future. With love, care and new friends, they can finally start to heal.

Asiatic black bear sitting inside a rusty, dirty cage with cobwebs in a poorly maintained enclosure.
Veterinary team conducting a medical examination on an anesthetized Asiatic black bear lying on a mat.
Animals Asia rescue team loading a red bear transport cage into a truck during an animal relocation operation.
Rescue worker cleaning a red Animals Asia cage containing an Asiatic black bear inside a transport truck.

Hai Phong – 13 May

On a rainy day in May, our rescue team brought a male moon bear who had been caged in the back yard of a private residence since 2005, home to sanctuary.

On arrival our team did a quick assessment of the bear – who we named Hai Phong after the village from which he was rescued – and he appeared in relatively good health despite a few wounds and bald areas. We estimated that he was around 17 years old.

Hai Phong was very timid and scared, he didn’t know what to make of these new people who were offering him sweet treats and soothing words. But eventually this gentle giant was carefully transferred onto our rescue truck, and headed to his forever home.

Asiatic black bear standing in a small, rusty cage outdoors with concrete ground and scattered debris.
Asiatic black bear looking through rusty metal bars of a cage with its mouth slightly open.
Asiatic black bear inside a secured red cage with metal locks during a rescue operation.
Rescue team in blue uniforms moving a red bear transport cage into a secure outdoor enclosure at a sanctuary.

Sen – 23 May

Barely a week after Hai Phong’s rescue, our team returned to the road to reach another bear in urgent need. Sen had been caged since 1998 and was painfully thin. An initial health check revealed a lump on his neck, which will be closely monitored by our veterinary team.

Named after Vietnam’s national flower, the lotus, Sen embodies resilience and renewal. We can’t wait to watch him blossom at our sanctuary over the coming months and years.

Asiatic black bear confined in a small, rusty metal cage in a poorly lit, dirty room.
Rescue workers inside a dimly lit building with two Asiatic black bears in red cages during a rescue operation.
Veterinary team conducting a medical examination on an anesthetized Asiatic black bear lying on a mat.
Rescue team in blue uniforms moving a red bear transport cage along a path at night near an outdoor enclosure.

Smokey – 12 June

In June we rushed back to the village of Hai Phong – previously a bear bile farming stronghold – to rescue another moon bear who had been caged for around 20 years.

After watching Animals Asia rescue Hai Phong in May, Smokey’s owner decided to voluntarily hand him over to our care.

We named our new friend, ‘Smokey’, after a cartoon bear who serves as a forest ranger in Vietnam. His rescue is a reminder that each bear’s freedom can inspire others to follow, bringing us closer to ending this cruelty for good.

Asiatic black bear looking up from inside a rusty metal cage in a poorly lit enclosure.
Asiatic black bear staring forward from behind rusty metal bars in a small, dark cage.
Two rescue workers attending to an Asiatic black bear in a metal cage inside a dimly lit building.
Rescue team and local officials treating an anesthetized Asiatic black bear during a medical procedure indoors.