A family in Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam voluntarily handed over an Asian black bear that they had kept for 20 years to the Animals Asia Foundation, which announced the successful rescue on Friday.

The family, living in Duy Tien Town, Ha Nam Province, willingly submitted an application to transfer the bear to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center, where they expected the animal would receive the best possible care.

Following the application, in the presence of local authorities, the province’s Division of Cultivation and Plant Protection and forest rangers organized the handover to Animals Asia.

According to the division, the rescued bear is the last captive Asian black bear in the province.

Eighteen years ago, there were 25 captive bears in Ha Nam.

Veterinarians administer anesthesia and conduct a thorough examination on the bear. Photo: Animals Asia Foundation

The Asian black bear has been under the care of the household since it was a cub, approximately since 2005, and now it is nearly 20 years old. 

The family kept the bear in an iron cage inside their kitchen. 

Despite being quite accustomed to human presence, the bear still exhibited signs of stress, often shaking its head when noticing strangers nearby. 

Animals Asia named the bear Kindness in honor of the foundation’s 25th anniversary, as she was rescued on this special occasion.

To rescue Kindness, veterinarians administered anesthesia and conducted a thorough examination in the owner’s front yard. 

Prior to the anesthesia administration process, the veterinarians advised the owner not to feed the bear for 24 hours to ensure a safe response to the anesthetic.

Dr. Jill Robinson, the founder of Animals Asia, participated in the bear rescue in person, taking on the task of reducing the animal’s stress and providing a comfortable environment for observation. 

She used enticing foods that bears love, such as honey, condensed milk, jam, and dried fruit, to assist the bear during the rescue process.

As a result, the bear became calmer, allowing the veterinarians to closely observe and accurately calculate the appropriate dosage of anesthetic.

The bear’s paws display calluses, cracks, and the nails have grown too long and have turned inwards. Photo: Animals Asia Foundation

According to veterinarian Rachel Sanki from the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center, the bear in question is a female weighing approximately 100 kilograms. 

Its paws display calluses, cracks, and notably, the nails have grown long and have turned inwards. 

Following the anesthesia and medical assessment, the bear was safely placed in a cage and transported to the center, located in Tam Dao District of northern Vinh Phuc Province, within the same day.

Upon her arrival at the center, further examination of her gallbladder was needed. 

Additionally, her teeth required cleaning.

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