A water park operator in suburban Ho Chi Minh City has voluntarily transferred three black bears to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center in Bach Ma National Park, central Thua Thien Hue Province, citing changes in business operations.

Animals Asia, a Hong Kong-based charity which seeks to end cruelness to animals in Asia, on Friday reported that the Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department facilitated the handover of the three black bears to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center on Saturday. 

Dang Vinh Co. Ltd., which operates Cu Chi Water Park in the suburban district of Cu Chi in Ho Chi Minh City, originally raised the black bears in a semi-wild environment at the park for tourism purposes.

The approximately 20-year-old bears have exhibited frailty and significant hair loss, according to Animals Asia, as challenging business conditions and a reduced operational scale seem to have made the company fail in maintaining its facilities for an extended period.

To facilitate changes in its business model, the firm decided to voluntarily transfer the animals to a new owner. 

Besides the three mentioned black bears, the water park houses an additional eight black bears and various other animals, all of which are subject to regular monitoring and checkups by the city's forest protection officers on a periodic basis. 

According to Animals Asia, Vietnam's wild bear populations have declined to only a few hundred due to habitat loss and illegal hunting for bile extraction. 

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Forest Protection Department reports around 300 bears in captivity across the country.

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