On 29 November, Tủa Chùa Forest Protection Department in Vietnam confiscated a bear cub who was being trafficked across the border. They contacted Animals Asia immediately and asked us to rescue this poor soul who was being kept in a tiny cage. 

A tragic start to a young life

This terrified little bear was being kept in a tiny cage, overwhelmed with fear, having been poached from the wild and cruelly stolen from his mother. 

When we saw the footage of this small cub pacing up and down the tiny cage, our rescue team, ever at the ready, leapt into action to begin the long 12-hour journey from our sanctuary in Tam Dao to the border town of Dien Bien in the country’s northwest to reach this frightened cub as soon as possible. 

The astonishing resilience of rescued bears

Through the decades of rescuing and caring for over 650 bears, we have always marvelled at the resilience of these remarkable creatures, their endurance through such heartbreaking deprivation and torment, their ability to recover from terrible trauma, and their willingness to forgive.

And so, we have named this little cub Marvel, as a tribute to this tenacious species that never ceases to amaze us. And we will do everything in our power to ensure this precious little one also recovers from their terribly traumatic start, and go on to live a most marvellous life, thanks to the love and generosity of all our supporters around the world. #MoonBearHeroes

Vietnam’s dedication to saving bears

Tuan Bendixsen, Animals Asia’s Vietnam Director, said that “the swift actions of the authorities in seizing this cub from traffickers sends a clear message that there is no place for the illegal wildlife trade in Vietnam. It has to end, and we will continue working closely with the authorities across the country, offering our support in any way we can to help achieve our collective goal.”

For now, our immediate focus is on giving little Marvel the best possible life we can. As he has been taken from their mother so young, he can never be released back into the wild, and will need to be cared for in our sanctuary for his whole life - 30 years or more.

Marvel will spend 45 days in quarantine to protect them and the other resident bears from any potential infections during which our sanctuary team will build up his strength, confidence and trust, and carefully monitor their reactions and development.

Marvel’s arrival at our Vietnam sanctuary brings the total number of rescued bears on site to 189. We only have the capacity for 200 in total. The sanctuary is fast approaching the point where it won’t be able to take in any more bears. Very soon we're going to start building another sanctuary to house the hundreds of bears that need rescuing to finally end bear bile farming in the country.

Please donate today to care for bears like Marvel and help us finish the job and make sure that no bear is left behind.

Read more: 

Wonder cub rescued from traffickers | Yên cub rescued from traffickers

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