In Vietnam, Animals Asia runs a sanctuary for 104 rescued bears, but they are about to lose their home, due to a proposed tourist development.
The bear sanctuary faces eviction from its site in Tam Dao National Park due to the park director, Do Dinh Tien, who is believed to have lobbied the Ministry of Defence to evict Animals Asia, so he can hand the land to Truong Giang Tam Dao Joint Stock Company, of which his daughter is part-owner. The company intends to build commercial property including a tourist park and hotels.
The eviction would see:
- 104 bears that have been rescued from the bile industry evicted
- 77 local Vietnamese staff unemployed
- financial losses to Animals Asia of more than US $2 million.
The bears are being rehabilitated after years of trauma from being locked up in small cages and milked for their bile. These bears will be forced to return to cages to be relocated. This will have a major negative impact on their mental and physical well-being as it is likely to take at least two years to establish a new centre with outdoor enclosures.
Please sign this petition and call on Vietnam’s Prime Minister to honour his government’s original agreement with Animals Asia, and allow the rescue centre to remain in Tam Dao National Park.
Dear Honourable Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung,
I appeal to you as Prime Minister to overturn the Ministry of Defence order to evict Animals Asia’s Bear Rescue Centre from Tam Dao National Park.
The eviction is in direct violation of the Vietnam government's agreement with Animals Asia, to develop a rescue centre on 12 hectares of the park that would permanently rehabilitate and house 200 endangered bears rescued from the illegal bear bile industry.
The closure would see 104 rescued bears evicted, 77 Vietnamese staff made unemployed, and financial losses to Animals Asia of more than US$2 million.
Please overturn the decision to evict Animals Asia and honour your government's agreement.
Yours sincerely,
