Hanoi (VNA) - ဣAnimals Asia, a Hong Kong-based charity dedicated to ending animal cruelty in Asia, rescued the three black bears from the Cu Chi water park on January 12.

Two days later, they were brought to the newly-established Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre at Bach Ma National Park in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue. Dang Vinh Co. Ltd., the operator of the water park, transferred the bears to the centre by providing a letter expressing their desire for the animals to have the best possible living conditions. Throughout the bear rescue process, the Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department and Cu Chi Forest Ranger provided support and accompanied the handover procedures. They worked closely with Animals Asia to complete the necessary legal procedures for transferring the bears to the rescue centre. The Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre II has completed the first phase of construction and is currently operating facilities, a hospital, a temporary quarantine area, and two bear houses with four semi-natural areas. With the addition of these three rescued bears, the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre II is now caring for a total of six black bears using a semi-wild raising model. Animals Asia stated that the three rescued bears have legal origins and were previously raised by Dang Vinh Co. Ltd., at the Cu Chi water park for zoo visiting activities. However, due to changes in the business model, the company decided to transfer the bears to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre. The three black bears, approximately 20 years old, are in poor physical condition, displaying patches of hair loss on their bodies. At the Cu Chi water park, the bears were raised in a semi-wild model for tourism and visual viewing. However, the park’s cage facilities have deteriorated due to difficult business conditions. During the rescue process, Animals Asia named the bears Cuu Long, Thang Long, and Ha Long (the female bears), as they were the first three bears rescued in the Year of the Dragon 2024. In addition to the three mentioned black bears, the water park currently houses eight more black bears and various other animals, all of which are subject to regular monitoring and checkups by the city's forest protection officers. According to Animals Asia, Vietnam’s wild bear populations have drastically declined to only a few hundred due to habitat loss and illegal hunting for bile extraction. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Forest Protection Department reports approximately 300 bears in captivity across the country, with 30 of them in private establishments, zoos, and parks in Ho Chi Minh City alone.