Timeline of Our Activities and Achievements
Our mission for bile bears in Vietnam
Although the sale and the possession of bear bile have been banned by law since 2005, today still many bears – mainly Asiatic black bears – are kept on bear farms in Vietnam. Many are illegally abused for the extraction of bear bile.
In the framework of the #SaddestBears campaign, FOUR PAWS has set itself the task of ending the torment of bile bears in Vietnam.
What FOUR PAWS has achieved so far:
August 2024
In August 2024, a tiny sun bear cub, Anuk, was found in the back of a taxi at the bus station in Thanh Hoa City. She was confiscated and luckily brought to BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh before she was illegally traded further.
May 2024
Asiatic black bear Chinh was the last remaining bear on a farm where he was abused for bile extraction. In previous years, FOUR PAWS could already rescue 14 bears from this particular farm and finally, Chinh's owner also agreed to hand him over.
October 2023
Bear Na suffered in a tiny cage comprised of metal bars even on the floor for 20 years. She is missing her front paw. This is usually a sign that the bear was caught in the wild and was injured by a hunting trap in which it lost a limp. She was abused for bile extraction and kept in a dim storage room of a family house with barely any daylight.
September 2023
In September 2023, FOUR PAWS was asked to resuce an Asiatic black bear in an emergency mission. Bear Khanh had spent 25 years in a small metal cage and was in a terrible condition. Once he arrived at BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh, medical tests revealed that he suffered from multiple highly concerning health issues. Unfortunately, he lost his fight a few days later. His story serves as a reminder of the plight of countless bile bears in Vietnam who have already died or continue to endure unimaginable suffering on bear farms despite favourable progress in some provinces to end bear farming.
October 2022
Bear Soi was rescued by FOUR PAWS on 27th of October, after his owner agreed to hand him over. After spending his life in a tiny cage, not much bigger than a car, unable to live a species-appropriate life, a new life was waiting for him at BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh with many new surprises. Not only will bear Soi experience positive surprises at his new forever home, but also the team was surprised when the vet check revealed that Soi was much younger than 17 years, not like his owner stated.
May 2022
On 30 May 2022, the Vietnam Bear Coalition, comprised of FOUR PAWS, Education for Nature – Vietnam (ENV), and World Animal Protection (WAP) held a press conference in Hanoi. The coalition called upon the Hanoi authorities to take decisive action to end bear bile farming in the nation’s capital. While most of the country has made great progress in ending the cruel practice of bear bile farming, sadly Hanoi is trailing behind. Hanoi remains the biggest bear bile farming hotspot, accounting for 149 bears, or 51% of captive bears in Vietnam! Ioana Dungler, Wild Animal Department Director, spoke on behalf of FOUR PAWS and expressed our hope that also the bile bears of Hanoi will have the opportunity to live in a species-appropriate environment like in our BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh.
May 2022
Bear cubs Bé and Em were victims of the illegal wildlife trade and were taken from their mother. Found tied up in a sack, FOUR PAWS was asked to help them.
February 2022
Nine bile bears were rescued from three different farms in Binh Duong province. It was the biggest rescue of bile bears so far.
December 2021
Bear Tu Do, whose name means freedom in Vietnamese, was the last bile bear in Son La province, is the 40th resident of our sanctuary, and the 50th bear rescued by FOUR PAWS in Vietnam.
October 2021
With your help, we reached 100k signatures on our Hanoi petition already. For years we’ve been trying to change the horrible situation of bears farmed in Vietnam – and now we focus on Hanoi. Continue to support our joint effort with our partners in the Bear Coalition in Vietnam, Education for Nature - Vietnam (ENV) and World Animal Protection (WAP), to make a species-appropriate life for the bears such as Mo on this picture possible.
June 2021
FOUR PAWS changes the focus of the international campaign #SaveTheSaddestBears to end bear farming in Vietnam and launches a new petition aimed at hotspot Hanoi. Since FOUR PAWS started the campaign in 2017 over 1.2 million people signed the petition and 49 bears were rescued and brought to BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh. But while significant progress was made across the country, Hanoi remains the country’s #1 bear bile farming hotspot, with 161 bears on 31 farms accounting for 46% of the total bile bears in Vietnam! Hanoi is the country’s capital, and therefore should be setting an example for other provinces to follow, and not create an embarrassment for Vietnam on the global stage.
April 2021
Rescue bear Cam from a tiny 1.5 square meter cage in a bile bear farm in Hai Phong province, Vietnam.
March 2021
Rescue Xuan and Mo: The bile bears kept in a basement: Xuan and Mo were rescued from a life in darkness.
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November 2020
For the seven Asiatic black bears, who only knew life behind metal bars on two farms for almost 20 years – their new lives have just begun after our biggest bear rescue in 2020!
October 2020
Rescue Thu: With 15 years of suffering behind her, the Asiatic black bear begins her new life.
July 2020
FOUR PAWS rescues two bear cubs from illegal wildlife trade in Vietnam. Read our press release here!
July 2020
Breaking News: Vietnam’s Prime Minister issues directive to ban all wildlife trade in reaction to COVID-19! Vietnam has banned the import of wild animals and their parts and banned the sale of wild animals and their parts within the country. As one of the biggest consumers of wild animals this is a major step in not only stopping the next pandemic but also protecting wild animals from being poached from the wild or cruelly bred on farms to meet demands for human consumption.
Moreover, in an unprecedented step, Vietnam has vowed to act against the online sale of wild animals which is an increasing trend in the region.
FOUR PAWS hope that this decision is followed by effective enforcement and we will see Vietnam leading the fight against illegal wildlife trade and protecting wild animals from poaching and cruel captive breeding. We hope this example will provide the impetus for other countries to also act and protect wild animals and stop the next pandemic!
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vietnam-wildlife-ban/vietnam-bans-wildlife-trade-to-curb-risk-of-pandemics-idUSKCN24P0EP
May 2020
Bear rescue amidst COVID-19 pandemic. FOUR PAWS provides species-appropriate home for two bears in Vietnam. Read more!
December 2019
Rescue Ben: He suffered almost three decades in a tiny, filthy cage. After a 200km journey across Vietnam, bear Ben can begin his new life at our BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh.
September 2019
Biggest FOUR PAWS mission in Vietnam: Seven bile bears rescued from cruel captivity
May 2019
Unexpected bile bear rescue in Vietnam - 3 nameless Asiatic black bears. Now they got the names: Lili, Lulu and Lac.
May 2019
Rescue of 3 Asiatic black bears from Binh Duong province. Chuoi, Tao and Le were brought to BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh.
March 2019
In the biggest FOUR PAWS rescue operation to date, we save the five bile bears Keo, Lim, San, Dieu and Khoai Lang.
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March 2019
FOUR PAWS opens BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh.
January 2019
Bear cubs Mi and Tam are rescued from the illegal wildlife trade and taken into our care.
November 2018
FOUR PAWS reaches two more emergency cases in Vietnam: we are able to rescue Asiatic black bears Trang und Long.
August 2018
FOUR PAWS saves another pair of abused bears, locked up for over 12 years: Hoa Lan and Hoa Tra.
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April 2018
FOUR PAWS rescues May and Binh Yen from captivity in cruel conditions. There are now no more bear farms in Ninh Binh Province.
January 2018
FOUR PAWS rescues former bile bear Misa.
November 2017
FOUR PAWS rescues the first bile bears in Vietnam. Nhi Nho, Thai Van and Thai Giang move to Ninh Bin and become the BEAR SANCTUARY's first residents.
November 2017
According to official figures, around 800 bears still live on an estimated 250 farms in Vietnam.
Spring 2017
FOUR PAWS launches the international campaign
#SaveTheSaddestBears: END BEAR FARMING in Vietnam!
December 2016
Construction work starts on BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh.
Spring 2015
FOUR PAWS begins cooperation with the state wildlife rescue centre, the 'Hanoi Wildlife Rescue Centre', and funds an outdoor enclosure in order to improve the living conditions of the former bile bears kept there.
2014
FOUR PAWS investigates Vietnamese bile bear farms for the first time.
2005
The Vietnamese government bans the sale and possession of bear bile and the new admission of bears to farms. All bears kept on farms are registered and microchipped. At this point, around 4,300 bears live on Vietnamese bear bile farms.