The man who grew up with moon bears

01 April 2015

Bear Team Supervisor Dao Chau Tuan (the 5th man from right) with his team at VBRC, 2012

The story of Dao Chau Tuan’s life is inseparable from the story of bear bile farming in Vietnam. Living just a stone’s throw from Animals Asia’s sanctuary, he has seen the facility grow around him and over eight years, has grown up with the bears he is dedicated to rehabilitating. Here is the story they share.

When I first started as a bear worker in 2007 there were only three bear cubs here. It was a hard time as there were no bear houses then. We had to convert some outdoor sheds in the National Park into temporary bear cages to house the bears.

It was beyond my imagination to see the three little bears missing the care they should have received from their mothers. They were very cute little bears. We gave them the unconditional love which parents give their children. They grew up with endless care from the bear manager and vet nurse who were experienced enough to take care of them.

The cubs were happy and naughty as cubs should be. I began to think: just caring is not enough, we should think of new ideas to help them forage for food, exercise more, and express their natural instincts. So I made some toys for them. Mara, Mausi and Olly – the three cubs – enjoyed the toys so much. Just like that we grew together as a family.

Moggy really enjoys her enclosure, VBRC 2013

Over time, the centre gained trust and support from the government. We received two more adult bears, one missing their left front paw and one missing their right front paw. They were named Mama and Moggy. If it hadn’t been for the centre, these disabled bears would have suffered a miserable life.

In my previous job as a truck driver, I knew very little about bears and about the horrible things people do to them – not only physically but also mentally. Only when I started working with bears did I learn about their situation. That’s why even though I could make more money being a truck driver; I decided to continue working with the bears instead.

A key year for me was 2008. That year I first took part in a bear rescue, and the same year large-scale construction started in the sanctuary. It was the beginning of the quarantine area, the River and Mountain Houses, poly tunnels, the bear hospital, surgery room, vet team offices and the translator’s office.

Tuan prepared breakfast for moon bear Ti Map, 2014

We had to wait until 2009 to have our first double bear house with two enclosures. Mara, Mausi and Olly were beaming with joy as it was their very first time setting foot on grass – and it was such a huge enclosure. There were plenty of toys and structures for them to play with.

The older bears, whose faith in humans was still too dented, remained skeptical at first, hesitant to go out. We had to encourage them by putting food and browse close to the bear dens as a signal of peace: come on, it is safe to go out! And cautiously they ventured out. After a few days, they learned that the enclosure was safe and became happier than ever.

Since then we’ve saved over a hundred bears in Vietnam.

Tuan (the 3rd from right) with the Ti Map Rescue Team, 2014

I have countless memories from the rescues. I still remember one rescue we had to travel thousands of kilometers, crossing bumpy roads to get to the bear farm. The truck driver was ill on the way so I had to take a turn to drive while checking up on the bears in the back of the truck every 30 minutes to make sure they were alright. It was such a long, hard way back to Tam Dao but it was worth the effort.

Our continued devotion paid off when we received enough financial support to build one more double bear house in 2011. Unfortunately, things had to be put off the following year due to the eviction threat. We were very worried for the bears if the centre was to be shut down. They had endured years of misery and mistreatment in farm cages already.

Once again, international friends proved vital. Finally the prime minister stepped in and agreed that we could stay in Tam Dao.

Bear Team Supervisor Tuan hoses down the moon bears, Ben Tre Rescue 2015

New bear houses continue to be built, bears continue to be rescued and we now have more bear workers than ever. There are many departments working together to keep the centre running.

I was recently promoted to a new role as Bear Team Supervisor. Each day I keep an eye on things around the centre, prepare work schedules, assist the bear team and take part in rescues. I also help the bear managers with bear integrations and weighing.

The bears and their rehabilitation is our priority. We have to restore their broken faith in humans, and give them a better life. I know there is still a very long way to go and it will be full of difficulty, but I won’t give up. And I know we are not alone. With help and support from all over the world, we can bring an end to the cruelty of bear bile farming.

Mara enjoys her enclosure at VBRC


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