Two three-month-old moon or Asiatic black bears have been rescued after being illegally transported in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa.

On April 7th, Trung Nho Tu, director of Pu Hu Nature Reserve of Thanh Hoa agency for forest management, said that they have successfully rescued the bears (one male, one female) and have been taking good care of them for over a week.

Earlier, Quang Hoa Forest Management had discovered and captured from a trafficker these bears that were being illegally transported on a passenger car from the border district of Muong Lat to Thanh Hoa City.

At that time, the bears were very weak. One was 3 kg and the other was 3.5 kg.

* Rescued animals transferred to Hon Me refuge centre

The Hon Me Wildlife Rescue Centre in the southern province of Kien Giang has received 29 wild animals that were rescued from illegal wildlife traffickers during the first three months of the year, according to provincial Forest Watch Department.

The animals, including 12 Tibetan and Malayan bears, one pig-tailed macaque, ten yellow-cheeked c five lories and one sea eagle, have been given a permanent home in a semi-natural environment at the centre, where they will be raised and looked after. All of the animals have already adjusted to their new home, according to the centre.

Workers at the centre have built a fence surrounding a 3 ha area which contains a cage for 10 gibbons, a semi-natural area for small lories. The grounds at the centre are free from pesticide use in an effort to create a natural environment and good living conditions for rescued animals.

The centre will continue building cages for monkeys, an area for otters and an enclosure freshwater turtles from Cuu Long River Delta. It will also strengthen patrols around the forest and keep a close watch on illegal trading and trafficking of wild animals.

The US$500,000 Hon Me Wildlife Rescue Centre, built under an agreement between the Viet Nam-based NGO Wildlife At Risk and Kien Giang Union of Friendship Organisations, is the first of its kind in the country's southern region.

The centre aims to support equipment and improve capacity for local forest rangers in protecting wild animals and improving community awareness on the impact of wildlife trafficking. The centre, which aims to become a tourist attraction, is also expected to begin looking after bears according to international standards.

Source: VNS