Two moon bears, or Asiatic black bears, were rescued on Tuesday from a basement in a Son La, Vietnam clothes shop under as the worst conditions, animal welfare group FOUR PAWS said.
The two bears-Xuan and Mo-were discovered in dirty basement cages, all in complete darkness under terrible, appalling conditions just to collect their bile.
Illegal, Painful Bear Bile Extraction
Such bile is painfully extracted from the bears and sold for use in medicines and tinctures in the black market, AnimalAsia.org said. The bear bile trade and extraction is illegal in Vietnam, but hundreds of Asiatic black bears remain constricted unlawfully for bile farming despite a significant loss in interest in bear bile over the last few years.
It its rescue mission, FOUR PAWS found out that one of the bears, Xuan, might have been placed in the cage since he was a cub, which means being incarcerated in the dark for 17 years. The rescuers could not determine when Mo was brought in the cage.
Bears Found in Complete Darkness
A FOUR PAWS release said the bears were placed inside the cages in total darkness, except when it is being fed or undergoing the bile extraction when an artificial light is available. The rescuers had to use flashlights to find the bears.
When they found the bears, the rescuers cautiously removed them from the dark, unventilated basement, did health checks, and cleared them for their eventual transfer to Vietnam's Bear Sanctuary, Ninh Binh.
According to the rescuers, the bears were calm and unafraid despite having been exploited for their bile for years in such terrible conditions. The medical check-up showed that Xuan and Mo had been suffering from gall bladder disease due to the unsanitary bile extraction process.
Xuan also has a liver ailment, and his teeth are in an awful state, apart from being overweight, the rescuers stressed. More tests are scheduled in the sanctuary to determine the best options for their future care. The FOUR PAWS rescuers note that while bears are generally resilient, full recovery will take time.
Bears to Receive Best Care Possible
Xuan and Mo will receive the best care possible in the sanctuary, with all the sunshine they need in recuperating from their ordeal. The sanctuary also is home to 40 other Asiatic black bears FOUR PAWS rescued from illegal bear bile farming activities.
The sanctuary is working closely with the Vietnamese authorities to put a stop to bile bear farming in the country, and provide a home appropriate for the bears when they are rescued from the horrific trade. The rescue of Xuan and Mo is part of an overarching initiative of FOUR PAWS to save bears in need. from captivity.
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