Hanoi (VNA) – The Animals Asia on September 12 announced that it has received a Malayan sun bear and two monkeys that were caged as pets in Buon Ma Thuot city, the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak.
Initial information from the Dak Lak Department of Forest Management, the 60kg bear, which was then named Kaffe by the Vietnam Bear Sanctuary, had been kept since 2007. The monkeys included a 5kg male Macaca assamensis and a 4kg female Macaca artoides.
The wild animals were in good health condition when they were voluntarily handed over to the State agency. They are scheduled to be released to the Chu Yang Sin National Park.
According to Assistant Prof. Tuan Bendixsen, Deputy Chief of the Animals Asia, Kaffe is the 11 th sun bear rescued by the Vietnam Bear Sanctuary after the one saved in Nam Dinh last month. He will travel 1,300km in a van to reach the Vietnam Bear Sanctuary on September 15.
So far, the Animals Asia, which was founded in 1998 with an aim to end animal trade and abuse, has rescued 165 bears, 151 of which are receiving health care in semi-natural areas around the world. Currently, the Vietnam Bear Sanctuary is adapting 11 Malayan sun bears and Tibetan bears.
At the same time, the Animals Asia is working with Dak Lak province in a project to preserve Vietnam’s wild elephants at a cost of 50,000 USD.-VNA