[wildtrade] Animals Asia's NEWS: Two bear cubs rescued from smugglers in northern Vietnam (Dedicated email)

[Phan Thuy Trinh AAFVN]

Dear friends,

Animals Asia has transported the cubs to its Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre in
Tam Dao,

near Hanoi, where they will be provided with the care they need. The two
male cubs are

Asiatic black bears, also known as moon bears. Nicknamed Lai Chau and Sin
Ho, they

weigh approximately 12kg and 9kg respectively, and are estimated to be
around three to

four months old.

Two bear cubs have been seized from smugglers in Lai Chau province in
northern Vietnam

by local police, and transferred into the care of Animals Asia by the local
Forest Protection

Department (FPD). The two traffickers, who were illegally transporting the
bears in Than Uyen

district, have been arrested.

Tuan Bendixsen, Vietnam Director, Animals Asia commented:

“The Lai Chau police and local authorities are to be congratulated for
enforcing the law, and

ensuring the welfare of these cubs. Because of the early intervention and
proper care of the

forest protection department, both cubs are doing very well and looking
healthy.”

Animals Asia embarked on a 24 hour round trip to collect and transport the
bear cubs from

Lai Chai, a province that borders China, and is approximately 450km north
west of Hanoi.

The journey was lengthened by terrible road conditions following recent
flooding. There were

stops every two hours to feed and check on the cubs.

On arrival at the rescue centre, they were transferred from their original
FPD cage into a small

transport cage. They were taken directly to Animals Asia’s Cub House and
into a den that had

been especially prepared for them.

Annemarie Weegenaar, Bear and Vet Team Director at Animals Asia’s Vietnam
sanctuary

commented:

“They’ll be kept inside for the first few weeks, but right now they seem to
really enjoy the

platform and other structures inside the den. They’re entering the feeding
crates to drink their

milk, though they haven’t yet shown interest in solid food, apart from some
pumpkin. Their

coats are not in particularly good condition, most likely due to poor
nutrition, but with a few

weeks of good milk, and fresh fruit and vegetables, this should improve
rapidly.”

PHOTOGRAPHS CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qrn8eri4beyu3lr/rEg8GdznQU

Thank you and best regards,

-- 

Trinh Thuy. Phan M.A.
Communications Officer Vietnam
Animals Asia Foundation
Tel: (+84-4) 392 89264
Mob: (+84) 914502998
www.animalsasia.org
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