Five bears which were raised in captivity for more than 20 years in Phuc Tho District, Hanoi, have been handed over to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center in the Tam Dao National Park in Vinh Phuc Province, Hanoi’s neighbor.

The Animals Asia on Wednesday informed that it had cooperated with the Hanoi Forest Protection Department to receive the five bears handed over by a family in Phung Thuong Commune, Phuc Tho District, Hanoi.

The family raised the five bears since they were cubs for commercial purposes.

The bears had lived in cages for over 20 years, while their average life-span is 30-35 years.

After being encouraged by the Hanoi Forest Protection Department, the family voluntarily handed over the bears and proposed transporting them to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center for better care.

The five bears were named Dawn, Noon, Twilight, Midnight, and Chronos to remind that hundreds of bears are still being held in captivity across the country.

The Animals Asia lured them to other cages by using their favorite food, such as bananas, dried fruits, jams, condensed milk, and honey.

Most of the bears have lost their hair and suffer dermatitis. 

They will undergo a careful physical examination at the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center.

Over the past two years, the Hanoi Forest Protection Department and the Animals Asia have rescued 14 bears.

Early last month, they transported two Asian black bears from the Pu Mat National Park in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center.

According to the Hanoi Forest Protection Department, 116 bears are still being kept in captivity in Phuc Tho District.

Local rangers and authorities will keep encouraging bear farming households to hand over the bears.

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