With the support of ENV, this is the third bear transfer this year and is the result of efforts of the Government as well as partner organizations to promote the end of bear farming activities in Vietnam. .

Mr. Nguyen Van Thang - Director of Can Tho City Forest Protection Department shared: “In an effort to protect wildlife, Can Tho City Forest Protection Department has worked closely with bear owners to ensure conditions for better bear captivity at the facility. The farmer has agreed to transfer the bear to the authorities to help protect the bears. The coordination of action between the Forest Protection Department with the owner and the Bear Rescue Station of Cat Tien National Park completely comes from the common goal of promoting an end to bear farming in Vietnam. ”

This bear transfer event is also a big step in the process of implementing a local model of no captive bears by the Natural Education Center (ENV) and partners: World Animal Protection Organization , Four Paws, launched in 2017 to support the Government in promoting a roadmap to end bear farming in Vietnam.

Ms. Nguyen Phuong Dung, Deputy Director of ENV said: “We are very pleased and welcome the efforts of the authorities in Can Tho Province to make Can Tho the next locality free of captive bears. We hope that more and more localities in the country will follow in Can Tho's efforts to mobilize the transfer of the remaining bears in the locality. Adding a locality to end the bear captive operation means that Vietnam is one step closer to the stage where bears are no longer available. ”

In April 2018, the Four Paws Foundation rescued the last two bear bears in Ninh Binh province and took them to the bear conservation farm managed by the organization in this province. With the successful rescuing of these two bears, Ninh Binh has become a locality where bears are no longer confined to obtain bile.
Thus, in the first half of 2018, there were two more localities where there were no more captive bears. This has confirmed the inevitable trend to stop bear farming in localities across the country. ENV calls on other localities in the country to keep bear bears to take action quickly and take concrete measures to soon become a province free of captive bears.

“It is time to increase the pressure for bear owners to abandon bear farming. In order to do this, it is necessary to prevent the illicit profits they get from illegal bear bile exploitation and trading. ”

Ms. Dung also emphasized the need to strengthen monitoring of bear farms as well as strictly handle violations. “The remaining bear owners need to understand that bear bile trading in Vietnam is a criminal offense. Communities are also turning their backs on the use as well as the stubborn conception of the effects of bear bile. It is time for farmers to abandon bear farming, ”Dung said.

In 2005, Vietnam had more than 4,300 bears in captivity in hundreds of facilities across the country. However, after more than 10 years of persistent efforts, the number of captive bears has decreased to about 900 individuals by the end of 2017. More and more bear owners are voluntarily transferring captive bears to the middle rescue center. This has shown a positive change in the owners' own awareness of the need to stop this outdated bear keeping.