A sun bear kept by a family in the northern province of Nam Định was handed over to Việt Nam’s Bear Rescue Centre yesterday.
Experts from the NGO Animals Asia examine the health of a sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) kept in the northern Nam Định province (VNS Photo)
The NGO Animals Asia said the female bear, aged seven and weighing 50kg, had been kept with a family in Xuân Trường district in the province since 2009. The bear was not given an identification card for management.
This bear was confirmed to be in good health, and has been transported to the Bear Rescue Centre in Tam Đảo town in Vĩnh Phúc Province before being sent to semi-wild environment.
The bear was given name as Annemarie, after the former director of the veterinary centre, Annemarie Weegenaar, at the rescue centre.
The family said the bear was taken on as a pet when it weighed only 1kg.
This bear brings Animals Asia’s bear rescue total to 165 in Việt Nam, of which 140 were Asian Black bears – an endangered species.
According to a report from Việt Nam’s Forest Protection Agency, more than 1,200 bears are kept at 430 private farms in Việt Nam.