Nhi Nho is a female Asiatic black bear, who was born in the wild but was trapped by hunters to be sold to a bile bear farm in Ninh Binh province. She is unable to walk normally due to her missing front paws, which were very likely amputated by a steel-jaw trap or deliberately removed to make bear paw soup or wine. During her 12 years on the bile farm, Nhi Nho endured an unbearable life.

Nhi Nho was kept in a small rusty cage, never seeing the sunlight. She endured extreme suffering from both the terrible living conditions and the bile extraction. In November 2017, Nhi Nho was rescued from a life of suffering by FOUR PAWS and in collaboration with the local government.

We are very happy with how quickly Nhi Nho has adapted to her new environment at our BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh. Even though she is missing her front paws, Nhi Nho has adjusted well to her disability. She really loves to spend time outside, foraging, digging, swimming, and nesting. Regarding her character, we can say that she is curious, calm and she knows how to relax and enjoy comfort.

With this new chapter in her life also came a new name: Nhi Nho. Her former name "Hai Chan" means "Two Legs" in Vietnamese, and we did not want to continue calling her by a name so disrespectful towards her disability caused by humans. Now it was time for her to receive a name with a positive meaning. "Nhi Nho" means "playful, cheerful" and was chosen for her because she showed such happy behavior shortly after she came to the sanctuary.

Update September 9, 2020

After the arrival at our sanctuaries, the bears in our care receive regular health checks and medical treatments as needed. For former bile bears, the most common disease is gallbladder inflammation and infection caused by the unhygienic bile harvest methods on the farms. 

Although most of our rescued bears respond well to our treatment plan, resolving such gallbladder diseases through medication and diet, unfortunately, this has not been the case for Nhi Nho and Binh Yen. Our veterinarians will evaluate possible alternative treatments, including surgery, and we will keep you posted about the outcome.

Update October 2, 2020

It was soon decided that the best option for the health of both formerly bile-farmed bears, Nhi Nho and Binh Yen would be to undergo surgery for their gallbladder disease. The surgeries went well and now both bears have been recovering in the vet clinic for two weeks. Currently, they are in the bear houses and will remain indoors for a little while, so that they can be monitored closely. At the moment, they are both doing fine and the team is positive that Nhi Nho’s and Binh Yen’s liver and biliary condition will further improve as a result of the surgery. Unfortunately, in the case of Nhi Nho gallbladder and liver disease are not the only health implications that she needs to recover from. Like a lot of other bears rescued from bile farms, Nhi Nho also has impaired kidneys. She is monitored closely and receives additional treatment for that condition. 

Stay tuned for more updates on their progress!