The Vietnam Bear Rescue Center is facing the risk of closure and 104 bears may have to be relocated.
The Vietnam Bear Rescue Center in Tam Dao National Park, Vinh Phuc province, said that on October 5, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development informed the Animals Asia Foundation (AAF) of the results of the meeting with the Ministry of Defence on the order of stopping all construction activities of the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center project and relocating 104 bears that were previously rescued by the center out of the Chat Dau valley.
A representative of the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center said this project is funded by AAF. It currently manages 104 bears, which were rescued from bear farms.
The order to close the center will not only affect the implementation of the commitment on putting an end to breeding bears for gall of the Vietnamese Government but also make the center's 77 local employees become unemployed.
In addition, the closure will also cause heavy losses for the AAF, much more than the official number of $2 million.
The closure of the center has directly terminated the written commitment of the Vietnamese Government in 2005 with AAF in receiving funding and construction of the 12ha Bear Rescue Center at the Tam Dao National Park, as the home for rehabilitation of 200 bears, which are facing high risks due to illegal bear gall exploitation.
Under this agreement, the AAF has invested more than $2 million in the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center project.