The Stalemate Driving Vietnam’s Illegal Wildlife Trade
Education for Nature – Vietnam’s (ENV) Wildlife Crime Unit recently enabled the rescue of the “Nghe An Three” in one of the most protracted and violent bear bile rescues to date. This positive outcome is offset by the knowledge that 10 bears were left behind despite video recordings of bile extraction for commercial purposes, evidence that the bears are not microchipped (suggesting they were poached from the wild), and their dealer’s internet bear bile hotline still being open for business.
Vietnam’s Asiatic Black Bears face the most severe declines recorded, with numbers dropping by over 60 percent in 30 years. With bear bile farms “heavily reliant on restocking from wild populations,” the Vietnamese government has committed to a plethora of laws, regulations, and guidelines to protect them.
Kate Fox
