The moment we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived!

Today, Animals Asia’s founder and CEO Jill Robinson broke ground on our second bear sanctuary in Vietnam, signaling the beginning of the end of bear bile farming, and the dawning of a new era for animal welfare in the country. 

Jill was joined by the Vietnamese government; Animals Asia’s expert Vietnam team members; famous supporters including Animals Asia’s UK ambassadors Peter Egan and Lesley Nicol, and a host of supporters, to celebrate this pivotal moment in Animals Asia’s history, and in Vietnam’s.

Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh, Ministry of Agriculture

Jill explained,

“This is a proud moment for Vietnam, and Animals Asia is honoured to be able to partner with the authorities, the people of Vietnam and the Bach Ma National Park in helping bring about this significant milestone in the protection of wildlife across the country. Vietnam is leading the way in animal welfare, and we hope they will serve as a shining example for others to follow.”

This new sanctuary will:

• Create a space for the 300+ bears to be rescued from the remaining bear bile farms in Vietnam 
• Enable the Vietnamese Government to finalise the confiscation of all bears from bear bile farmers
• Once the last bear is rescued, it shuts down the opportunity for poachers to launder bears stolen from the wild into the bile trade, thereby protecting vulnerable wild populations
• Achieve one of Animals Asia’s founding goals – ending bear bile farming in Vietnam.

So we’re hitting the ground running: we’re going as fast as we can to start construction on the most important building, the quarantine area. If everything goes to plan, our aim is to have completed construction on the entire sanctuary by 2024. 

This means that we hope to have the last bear on the last bile farm in the country safely home with us by 2026. 

Our goal is ambitious, it’s our biggest challenge yet. But we have to do it: for those bears who are still languishing on bile farms, waiting patiently but desperately for us to save them.

And we know we can do it. Not only because we are the experts in our field - operating two sanctuaries and having rescued over 660 bears already -  but because we also have you on our side - our incredible supporters. 

Your kindness and generosity is the only reason we are where we are today - at this momentous point in our founding mission, and we know you will be there with us to finish the job - step by step, bear by bear, farm by farm, cage by cage, ensuring that no bear is left behind.

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