Rescue Bears Cubs Mochi, Nara and Nikko

Three bear cubs saved in Vietnam from illegal wildlife traders

13.8.2021

In the late afternoon of the 18th of May 2020, on the busy streets of Son La, Vietnam, a tiny young bear was being illegally offered for sale. The female cub was only a few months old when she was offered for sale by illegal wildlife traders on the border with Laos.

Although illegal, Asiatic black bears are still smuggled, bought, sold and farmed for their stomach bile in Vietnam.

In this case, a local family found out and intervened to spare the baby bear from a lifetime of captivity on a bear farm or from being killed for human consumption. The FOUR PAWS Viet team was called to action by our local cooperation partner and the Vietnamese authorities, and asked to save this little bear cub – Mochi.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the rescue action had to follow strict safety precautions, but the small FOUR PAWS team made the four-and-a-half-hour drive from BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh in Northern Vietnam to Son La province to rescue the cub.

Just a few months later, two more cubs were rescued from illegal trafficking, now Mochi is joined by Nikko and Nara!

Bear cub Mochi rescued from illegal wildlife trade

Rescued bear cub Mochi playing with a yellow ball

"Little Mochi is alert, playful and intelligent. She is in good physical condition and her health exam did not reveal any significant abnormalities. Weighing two kilograms, she is a little thinner than she should be and is having some minor gastrointestinal issues, however, both conditions will resolve within a few weeks after receiving appropriate milk and supportive care from our expert team,"

Szilvia Kalogeropoulu, FOUR PAWS Viet veterinarian.

A long road ahead

Mochi weighed just 2 kg when we found her, and she is at a vulnerable age as her immune system is not fully developed yet, so our team will provide her with all the care she needs to grow into a healthy bear. Sadly it is impossible that Mochi will be able to be released back into the wild, so she will remain at our sanctuary.

Our staff at Ninh Binh have experience in caring for bear cubs after the 2019 rescue of Mi and Tam, who were saved from a wildlife trafficker attempting to smuggle. Today, Mi and Tam are healthy, growing fast, and thriving at our BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh thanks to your support. We are determined to give Mochi the same second chance Mi and Tam had.

Wildlife trade in Vietnam

The legal and illegal wildlife trade in Vietnam is a billion-dollar industry which sees animals taken from the wild and bred in captivity to be sold in markets, restaurants, online and used in pseudo-traditional medicines throughout the country.

With its BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh, FOUR PAWS is supporting the Vietnamese government to contribute to an end of bile bear farming in Vietnam and provide a species-appropriate home for up to 100 rescued bears once all construction is finished. With the new arrival of Mochi, the sanctuary is currently home to more than 30 Asiatic black bears.