The Bear Rescue Center Vietnam's second branch, funded by the Animals Asia Foundation, opened the facility after more than a year of construction in the famous Thua Thien-Hue Province park.
Costing US$10 million, the center includes 6 bear shelters, 12 monitored semi-natural zones to help the bear adjust back to their natural habitat, a veterinary hospital and various zones for bear food preparation, education, and waste treatment.
It is expected to eventually receive and care for more than 300 bears rescued from captivity.
The interior of a room.
Upon arrival at the rescue center, bears will have experts monitor their health and behavior from these cells. Once they are well enough, they will be let into the semi-natural zone.
Cages to contain newly arrived bears.
Newly-arrived bears must be isolated in these cages for 30 days to ensure they will not spread any diseases.
After a period of quarantine, the bears will be sent to a clinic to have their health fully examined.
Veterinarian Tran Khanh Ngan stands by a refrigerator to store samples from sick bears for research and testing.
Two captive bears were sent to the center on Tuesday as the center's first residents.
The two bears were held captive by a family in Hanoi's Phuc Tho District for almost 20 years.
According to Hanoi's Forest Protection Department, 116 bears still live in captivity in Phuc Tho District, and authorities will continue to persuade their owners to turn them in.
In most cases, local residents keep bears to extract their bile for health purposes and for sale.
Since 2006, Animals Asia has rescued 267 captive bears in Vietnam. The bears currently live at Bear Rescue Center Vietnam's first facility in Tam Dao National Park in the northern Vinh Phuc Province.
Two captive bears are brought to the rescue center in Bach Ma National Park on October 3, 2023.
