Bao Lam the moon bear arrived at the DamB'ri Waterfall Resort in Vietnam in 2008 or 2009, but her life wasn't going to be luxurious or relaxing. Instead, she and 11 other bears were forced to "dance" for the "entertainment" of vacationing guests.
Using animals as props like this is despicable, but sadly, it continues to happen all over the world, especially with bears. But there is good news, too. There are people all over the world advocating for these exploited animals, and working to make the days of animals as entertainment a thing of the past. They rescue animals every day, and either release them into the wild or give them homes at sanctuaries, where they lead happy lives surrounded by some sometimes unexpected friends.
For Bao Lam, though, getting freedom took 12 long years. She spent that time in a small cage without proper meals or veterinary care. Even worse was that during her eight years at DamB'ri, her 11 companions all passed away, leaving her all alone.
But her hardships finally came to an end earlier this month, thanks to the continued efforts of Vietnam's forestry department, who finally pressured the resort to send Bao Lam to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center in Tam Dao National Park.
Read on to see her beautiful rescue from a life of loneliness.
[H/T: The Dodo]
Bao Lam has lived her whole life in captivity.
She was likely stolen from her forest home as a cub, and in 2008 or 2009 she was purchased by the DamB'ri Waterfall Resort, along with 11 other bears, to serve as "entertainment" for guests.
Bao Lam is a moon bear, also known as an Asian black bear, a threatened species of bear native to East Asia and parts of the Himalayas.
During her eight years at DamB'ri, she was kept in a small cage, seen here, and didn't receive proper nutrition or veterinary care. Needless to say, she was miserable.
Worse still was that over the course of those eight years, she lost all 11 of her companions, who succumbed due to neglect on the part of the resort.
Bao Lam suffered from cracked paws and teeth, a cataract, and damage to her front legs that made it difficult for her to walk.
That, and the fact that she'd lived in captivity since she was a cub, meant that she would never be able to live in the wild.
Finally, earlier this month, Animals Asia and the Vietnam Bear Sanctuary finally pressured the DamB'ri Waterfall Resort to relinquish Bao Lam into their care.
The first thing rescuers did? Give Bao Lam a healthy snack!
And she enjoyed it!
Placed in a transport vehicle, Bao Lam then made a four-day journey across the country to the Vietnam Bear Sanctuary, which would become her new forever home.
She was given leaves to rest on and plenty of snacks for the trip.
And she seemed to be in good spirits!
When she finally arrived, the staff was beyond excited.
In fact, some of them, like sanctuary director Heidi, seen here, were a bit overwhelmed.
As per sanctuary policy, Bao Lam will spend 45 days in quarantine to make sure she's healthy enough to interact with the other bears. After that, though, she'll have her whole life ahead of her.
And that life will look something like this. She'll spend her days relaxing outdoors among friends and getting the care she needs.
If you'd like to know more about bear rescues in Asia, you can check out the sanctuary website — where you can donate to keep the bears healthy and happy — and Facebook page.
And SHARE this story with everyone you know to make animal exploitation a thing of the past!
