Animals Asia: Another bear farm closes as 4 more moon bears are rescued from decades in small metal cages (video Bear Breeze's first bath is adorable)

 Photo : Jill Robinson is the founder of Animals Asia

Oriole and Cuckoo during their rescue, conducted in part by Animals Asia<br>Credit: Courtesy of Animals Asia 

Breezer was rescued before. This is a 'must see' video Enjoy!!

After almost 12 months of careful negotiations, a bear farmer finally agreed to release the last two moon bears still held in cages at his home into the care of Animals Asia. The rescue of the bears, nicknamed Cuckoo and Oriole in recognition of their springtime freedom, marks the closure of another of Vietnam’s bear farms in one of the country’s bear bile farming hotspots.

Breaking down the strongholds

The bears were rescued from a farm in Nghe An province, around 375 km south of Hanoi. In May 2025, a national bear farm survey (part-funded by Animals Asia) identified 15 bears remaining across 5 farms in Nghe An province. The region is one of the top 5 bear bile farming areas left in Vietnam. The farmer was so concerned about what his local community would say about his decision to break with bear farming that he even suggested conducting the rescue at night to avoid being seen by his neighbours.

Oriole and Cuckoo spent over 20 years in farm cages

A public opinion survey commissioned by Animals Asia found that, of the national regions of Vietnam surveyed, the Nghe An region was significantly more supportive of bear bile farming than any other region surveyed, with 70% of survey respondents based in the area in favour or neutral about the practice; compared to an average of just 8% across all other regions. Getting bears out of the region is very challenging because the practice is embedded in the socio-economics of the region.

Love and care are what Cuckoo and Oriole need

Cuckoo and Oriole were both in very poor condition, showing many of the physical and psychological scars caused by a life of captivity and harm.They were both underweight and dehydrated, with heavily callused paws and some fractured teeth. But their new life started as soon as we got their cages open.

Our rescue team carried out health checks as soon as the bears were free from their cages

Victory! Jakarta Officially Bans the barbaric Dog & Cat Meat Trade, ending decades of cruelty ( Photos not suitable for children )

  At the bottom of this article please sighn the petition

Photos By: Dog Meat-Free Indonesia
Coalition Members: Humane Society International, Change For Animals Foundation, Jakarta Animal Aid Network, and Animal Friends Jogja

UPDATE! Jakarta has officially banned the dog and cat meat trade, marking a major step forward for animal welfare and public health. The new Gubernatorial Regulation No. 36/2025, which took effect on November 24, 2025, makes it illegal to trade, sell, slaughter, or consume dogs, cats, and several other species of animals that could transmit rabies. The ban applies to live animals as well as raw and processed meat.

The historic move goes far beyond the 2023 directive, which was only a non-binding appeal for voluntary cooperation. That earlier measure signaled the city’s stance against the trade but lacked the legal authority needed to enforce penalties or shut down operations.

Under the new regulation, authorities now have full enforcement power. Violators can face written warnings, confiscation of animals, and even the closure or loss of business licenses for repeat offenses. These measures give Jakarta meaningful tools to dismantle the dog and cat meat industry.

Animal welfare groups have welcomed this historic decision, calling it a long-awaited milestone. With this legally binding ban in place, Jakarta has taken a decisive step toward ending the barbaric cruelty and health risks linked to the dog and cat meat trade.

“This is a historic step for Indonesia,” said Karin Franken, National Director of Dog Meat Free Indonesia. “Jakarta has demonstrated moral leadership and a courageous commitment to protecting animals and communities. We hope this sets a standard for all other regions across the country.”

“Jakarta has opened the path,” continued Franken. “This is a defining moment for a healthier, more humane Indonesia. We encourage every region to follow this bold example and help end the dog and cat meat trade nationwide.”

Jakarta now becomes the 21st jurisdiction in Indonesia to ban the brutal trade. The move comes in response to an intensive campaign by DMFI, exposing the severe animal cruelty and risks to human health from zoonotic diseases such as rabies.

“This is truly a historic and watershed moment in the movement towards ending the dog and cat meat trade, with the capital of Indonesia introducing a ban on this cruel trade. FOUR PAWS has campaigned on this issue for years and currently has a petition with nearly two million signatures worldwide,” Josef Pfabigan, CEO of FOUR PAWS, said in a statement.

“While this is a huge success, we cannot rest on our laurels, more needs to be done at the higher levels of government, as the dog and cat meat trade still results in horrific cruelty to an estimated 30 million animals per year in Asia, including an estimated 10 million dogs in Southeast Asia alone,” Pfabigan concluded.

It is estimated that only about 4.5% of Indonesia’s 270 million people have ever consumed dog meat. A nationwide opinion poll conducted by Nielsen in 2021 and commissioned by DMFI revealed that 93% of all Indonesians support a national ban.

Noted celebrity animal advocates Kim Basinger, Ricky Gervais, and Peter Egan are among those sharing the important victory by sending a video message shortly after the Food Security, Marine, and Agriculture Department confirmed the news.

“Thank you Governor Heru for your leadership in taking this brave and tremendously powerful step to ban the cruel, dangerous, and illegal dog meat trade in Jakarta. Your actions send a very clear message – dogs are not food,” stated Basinger. “These laws to prohibit dog meat will have far reaching impacts protecting both animals and people. Dogs are a true gift to all of us on this planet. They are our companions who serve mankind loyally. They must be protected from the abusive and unimaginably cruel dog meat trade.”

Ricky Gervais echoed Basinger’s statement saying, “The message is clear, dogs are not food.”

“Jakarta’s ban sets a clear example for other jurisdictions to follow that the dog and cat meat trade is intolerably cruel and dangerous and will help raise public awareness about the serious dangers and animal suffering inherent in this trade,” shared Karin Franken, national coordinator of the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition.

Globally, intolerance of animal cruelty and concern for human health is seeing an ever-growing number of countries, territories, provinces, regencies, and cities passing explicit laws prohibiting the trade in, slaughtering, and consumption of dogs and cats.

Help to end the barbaric dog and cat meat trade completely in Southeast Asia by signing the FOUR PAWS petition, HERE!