Thanks to an intervention by Four Paws Vietnam and the Ninh Binh Forest Protection Department, two bears have been rescued after years of abuse.
According to VnExpress, the bears contracted numerous diseases while suffering in the illegal bear bile industry for two decades.
The bears were rescued from a bear farm in Ninh Binh Province, where rescuers also found vast numbers of antibiotics and tranquilizers, which researchers say are used during the bile extraction process.
Since 1988, Four Paws has been working to rescue and protect animals who have been abused in the name of entertainment, science or medicine. Despite significant progress from increased pressure from local and international NGOs, there are still around 1,200 bears living in abusive conditions in Vietnam.
See more photos of the rescue below, courtesy of VnExpress:
Rescuers used anesthetic darts before taking the bears out of the cage.
Duct tape was used to close the bears' mouths during transportation.
Each bear weighs between 160 and 170 kilograms.
Experts performed a health check on the bears and found that they were suffering from gallbladder damage, urinary tract infections, tooth decay and obesity.
After their check-up, the bears were transported to the Ninh Binh Bear Rescue Center.
Huge piles of tranquilizers and anesthetics were found at the farm.
The Ninh Binh Bear Rescue Center, where the bears will spend three weeks adjusting to life in a semi-natural environment.
[Photos via VnExpress]
