Asiatic black bear standing on leaf-covered ground near rocks, facing forward with a distinctive creamy muzzle and chest patch.

Olivia

From a life of misery to hope, healing, and happiness

When Animals Asia arrived at an ex-bear bile farm in Nanning, China, Olivia stood out. Not just for her striking sunset-orange crescent, but for the depth of her suffering.

Her canines were rotting and reeking from infection. Her forepaws were crudely declawed, leaving deformed nails pushing painfully through the skin. Her ears had been cropped. Her nose, damaged – likely from nose-ringing. Her face bore the marks of obsessive head-rubbing.

A body broken, a spirit unbowed

Animals Asia’s vets discovered that Olivia had not endured bile extraction. She’d likely been kept as a breeder bear, considered more ‘valuable’. But her body told a different story: a lifetime of mutilation, deprivation, and neglect.

Our vets performed extensive dental surgery on Olivia to remove all four infected canines and received antibiotics to treat the surrounding bone infection – osteomyelitis. The relief was immediate. Over time, her mouth healed beautifully, and her appetite and spark returned.

From her earliest days at Nanning, Olivia responded to kindness. She devoured fresh fruit and vegetables, savoured banana chunks and strawberry jam with her medication, and began to explore her new world with caution and curiosity.

Rows of cages in a bear rescue facility, with bears visible inside the enclosures along a long, covered corridor.
Asiatic black bear with cream chest marking looking out through the bars of a metal cage.
Asiatic black bear lying on its side on a wooden bench, looking directly at the camera with a gentle expression.
Asiatic black bear relaxing in a metal tub outdoors, surrounded by dry leaves and natural enclosure elements.

Olivia today – resilient, radiant, remarkable

Today, Olivia continues to thrive. She’s on pain relief for arthritis. She splashes in her pool, rolls ecstatically in piles of straw, and plays joyfully with leafy branches. Winter finds her snoozing belly-down in cosy straw nests, safe at last.

Olivia is part of our Cooperative Care program, learning to open her mouth for vet checks so we don’t need to anaesthetise her. Learning is on her terms, and she’s encouraged with treats and praise.

Her carers say she’s in the best condition of her life. And although she’s an older bear, we hope Olivia has many peaceful years ahead of her at our China sanctuary.

This brave bear has overcome so much. Now she deserves to live in her own little paradise.

Asiatic black bear standing among green leafy plants in a lush outdoor environment, looking alert and curious.
Asiatic black bear lying on a wooden bench covered with straw, appearing sleepy in an outdoor enclosure.
Asiatic black bear with tongue extended, investigating a cardboard box and banana leaf labeled "To Olivia From Santa."
Asiatic black bear resting its head and paws on a wooden platform, looking relaxed and peaceful in a natural setting.