The bear receives a health check by AFF vets. (Credit: AAF)
Tran Minh Hien’s family in Xuan Hoa commune, Xuan Truong district voluntarily handed in the bear to the State, with the desire that it would be brought to the Bear Rescue Centre for a better life. The bear was kept in his family since 2009 after being purchased from an unidentified person and weighing only 1kg at that time. It had not been attached with a tracking chip.
The Sun bear was named Annemarie after the name of an expert who was former director of the veterinary board at Tam Dao Bear Rescue Centre Annemarie Weegenaar. Annemarie has devoted to Vietnam’s bear rescue work at the centre for eight years.Annemarie weighs about 50 kg. Veterinarian Weng Yan Nash at the Bear Rescue Centre said that the bear was relatively healthy, with no signs of abnormalities found in cavity but only joint problems due to not being active in captivity.
To date, AAF has successfully rescued 164 bears, of which 150 are living in the semi-natural areas at the bear rescue centre.
