According to Nguyen Thi Phuong Dung, Deputy Director of Education for Nature-Vietnam (ENV), over 5,000 people in Hanoi have signed a petition calling for an end to bear farming.
According to Dan Tri, the petition was primarily signed by residents in the capital’s Phuc Tho District, before being sent to the chairperson of the area’s People’s Committee.
In the document, locals called on authorized agencies to strongly encourage local bear farm operators to voluntarily hand over captive bears in a district which is a particular problem area for bear captivity.
It is hoped that dealing with the issue in this district would lead to more widespread change across Vietnam.
The total number of captive bears in Vietnam remains at over 750, even though the practice of bear bile farming was made illegal in the country back in 2005. Despite this change in legality, bears have continued to face abuse across the country. Still, progress has been made: the number of bears in captivity in 2005 was over 4,300.
Another petition launched by non-profit Four Paws, which calls for a complete end to the bear bile industry nationwide by 2020, has so far garnered over 800,000 signatories.
In Cat Tien National Park, a new shelter was recently opened, which houses and protects over 40 sun and moon bears that have been rescued from illegal trafficking and the bear bile industry.
[Photo via Four Paws]
