. A team of 10 wild animal rescue specialists and veterinarians went on a 1600-km journey to bring the bears to Tam Dao National Park, where 170 other bears also live.
Nine Asian black bears, 5 males and 4 females were rescued from these steel cages after 10 years of being held in captivity for bile extractions.
Before transporting them to their new home, the bears were anaesthetized to help them cope with the long journey.
Transporting these bears on this long journey was a challenge for the rescue team. To ensure their safety, after inspection, the team scheduled pit stops on the journey. Due to the hot weather, they had to stop every two hours to bathe and feed the bears. The biggest challenge came when their vehicle broke down and they had to stop for repairs.
Dr Tuan Bendixsen, Director of Vietnam bear rescue center, said: “The biggest challenge was when the car broke down in the middle of the trip. We almost had to switch to another car to transport the bears. It was hard but it was also a memorable part of our trip. Luckily the local mechanics were really good. It only took them 3 hours to fix the car so we could continue our trip”.
After 3 days, the 9 bears were brought safely to the Vietnam Bear Center. They were greeted with honey and milk before being brought to the isolation zone. Here, the bears will receive special care and attention before joining other bears at the center.
The isolation period will last 45 days, after which, the 9 bears will begin their lives in the semi-wild environment.
