Happy #MoonBearMonday!

When we last caught up with moon bear Bern, he was timidly taking his first steps on grass after a decade in a cage.

He had good reason to be cautious. Nobody knows when Bern last set foot on grass. Not for at least 10 years of confinement and invasive bile extractions – and perhaps never in his entire life if he was bred on a farm.

But that life ended in March when Bern was freed by Animals Asia using a crane and brought to our Vietnam sanctuary.

As is common in recently rescued bears, Bern’s first encounter with wide-open spaces was a fearful one.

But he’s come a long way since then.

Not only is Bern not afraid anymore – he’s having the time of his life.

Last week, Vietnam sanctuary staff were delighted to catch him and new moon bear buddy Joe enjoying an epic wrestle – a key sign of wellbeing and friendship between bears.

Joe may have lost an arm – most likely to a hunter’s snare when trapped in the wild – but that didn’t stop him giving as good as he got with newbie Bern.

The two mates pushed, pulled and rolled each other on the grass, over a table and even down in the mud before lying down next to each other for a well earned breather.

The road to recovery from the very personal horrors of a bear bile farm is different for every bear. But from rescue to quarantine to an enclosure to forming relationships with other bears, Bern has come a long way: from pain and fear, to fun and friendship.

We hope Bern’s journey gives you reason to smile this #MoonBearMonday.

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