Meet Tu Do: Her Rescue Just Ended Bear Bile in Son La Province, Vietnam
Tu Do, the bear, was voluntarily surrendered by her owner to a sanctuary after World Animal Protection negotiations.
Tu Do was the last remaining bear caged for bile in Son La which is now the 41st province to end bear bile farming in Vietnam.
Thanks to donor support, World Animal Protection, Education for Nature Vietnam, and FOUR PAWS came together with local authorities to rescue Tu Do, a female bear, so she can live out the rest of her life at a sanctuary aptly called “BEAR SANCTUARY” in Ninh Binh, Vietnam.
Our team met Tu Do during a monitoring trip at the property where she was being kept. World Animal Protection has been working with the government to register and microchip all bears living on farms across the country and monitoring them with inspections. This is to ensure that no new bears enter captivity for the bear bile industry.
During monitoring trips, World Animal Protection staff spoke with the man who owned Tu Do about the bear’s welfare and the bear sanctuary. Photo: World Animal Protection / Nguyen Van Tuyen.
Tu Do was kept in a tiny narrow cage for 20 years with limited sunlight. During monitoring trips, we spoke with the man who owned her about the bear’s welfare and the sanctuary. A few days after our last visit, the bear’s owner called the local ranger and said he wanted his bear to come to the sanctuary. Thanks to you, Tu Do now has a life worth living.
“Bear bile farming is illegal in Vietnam, but this hasn’t stopped the suffering of hundreds of bears who still live a torturous life in captivity in Vietnam for their bile, which is used in Traditional Medicine. We are calling on the Vietnamese government to close all remaining legal loopholes to end the cruel and illegal practice of bear bile farming. Forever.”
- Maya Pastakia, World Animal Protection International Campaign Manager of Wildlife. Not Medicine
Tu Do will live out the rest of her life at a sanctuary in Ninh Binh, Vietnam. Photo: World Animal Protection / Nguyen Van Tuyen.
Do you want to help bears and other animals like Tu Do?
Tu Do wouldn’t be in a better place today without the generosity of our donors. Donate now and your gift will set the foundation for our work in 2022, which will lead to more animals like Tu Do being freed from their cages.
