Despite pleas from Vietnam’s Government to stop “violent and superstitious festivals” and the widespread condemnation of Vietnamese people - local authorities have announced they intend to continue to hold the Nem Thuong Pig Slaughter festival.
It’s hard to imagine anything cuter than a baby bear – each time a cub arrives at an Animals Asia sanctuary it’s cause for excitement - but it’s also a tragedy.
In the fifth instalment of a six-part series Animal Welfare Director Dave Neale discusses the ethics of animal welfare in a world where people continue to suffer.
Plans to build a dolphinarium in Danang, Vietnam are “old fashioned” and would lead to a drop in tourists and investment, making it a suicidal move for the city.
Alongside the moon bears at Animals Asia’s Vietnam sanctuary, there is a growing sun bear community including these two characters – David and Arkte. These small bears – often called “dog bears” in Vietnamese – grow to about half the size of a fully grown moon bear.
Animal welfare charity Animals Asia’s growing influence within China has been recognised by accolades – suggesting its anti-animal cruelty message is being heard.
“When I first saw Franzi, she was in the smallest cage I’d ever seen.” That was from Animals Asia founder Jill Robinson’s recollection of Franzi’s rescue. Along with 18 other moon bears, Franzi was saved from the bear bile trade in late 2002 and taken to Animals Asia’s China sanctuary.
The new senior vet at Animals Asia’s Vietnam sanctuary hit the ground running – playing a key role in the rescue of seven bears in her first week.