Asiatic Black Bears to be returned to the wild
Image - Todd Pierson/Shutterstock
An official from the Wildlife Rescue Centre of Cat Tien National Park in southern Vietnam has confirmed that seven Asiatic Black Bears will be taken into their care prior to being returned to the wild. The animals, which weigh approximately 300kg and are between eight and nine years old, were kept as pets by a local entrepreneur in small cages for seven years.
The Asiatic Black Bear is also known as the 'Moon bear' due to a yellow crescent shape mark on its chest. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies them as 'Vulnerable' and they are on the IUCN's Red List due to the threat from loss of habitat, illegal killing and the trade in bear parts.
Nguyen Van Cuong, an official of the Wildlife Rescue Centre, was not able to confirm how long the bears would be in the Centre's care before they could be released. "It will take us lots of time and effort to prepare them for the wild as they have got used to an environment with human beings around." explained Mr Van Cuong.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
